Christmas Party
by BlueAngel137
Summary: My Secret Santa for Griever! Woohoo, the final chapter is up. Chapter 11 can be read alone, pure MLness. MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is my take on a Christmas story. Season 1 and M/L undertones (naturally) and hey, DA wouldn't be DA without a nice pinch of action, right?

I know I'm a little late, but the idea for this story hit me exactly on the 23rd ;-) . Originally it was intended to be a one-shot, but since its time-frame allows an (hopefully) interesting development I think I'm going to write one or two more chapters.

English isn't my first language, so please be gentle. I hope the 2nd chapter will be beta-ed, but since today's already the 1st I had to hurry to get this up.

**Hope you enjoy and HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**Disclaimer:** Dark Angel isn't mine (unfortunately). No money is made with this story.

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**1. Surprise**

**23rd December 2019**

_Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, ... Jingle All The Way. ... Oh What Fun It Is To Run On A One-Horse Open Sleigh, …_

**Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiink. **Max couldn't bear it any more.

_I'm Dreaming ... Of A White Christmas_

**Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiink. **This whole Christmas stuff definitely got on her nerves.

Max clenched her teeth, a haunted expression crossing her beautiful features.

And holding up her last remnant of self control, she delivered her last package, ... flashed one last fake smile into the client's direction, tried one last time to ignore the cheery babble and the chirped Christmas wishes.

And finally she was done.

She had to restrain herself from running. _What a fine soldier she was, ... ha!_

Escape and Evade had been her favorite game back at Manticore and that was exactly what she was going to do now.

**ESCAPE.**

And to make this threatening situation even more complicated, 452 was lurking in the back of her consciousness; ready to break free; eager to take over.

**NO.**

Max took a deep breath. She crossed the small side street, fast but still civilized and then gathered her bike that leaned against a lamb post.

_I can do it. I just have to go home. _

_I only need to ignore the bright lights that illuminate almost every window of the city. I just have to disregard the starry-eyed children and the fact that even the normally grouchy sector cop finds some nice words for every passenger._

And finally she reached the front door of the battered house that was home.

_Home?_ Max asked herself ironically, deciding to ignore the moody elevator in favor of the stairs.

She wrinkled her nose at the nasty smell that penetrated her sensitive olfactory nerves.

For some seconds she regretted her decision to take the stairs, when the stink on the third floor threatened to overwhelm her, but then she just increased her speed.

She breathed a sigh of relief, when the apartment door fell shut behind her.

Her head clattered against the wooden door with a soft 'thud' and Max closed her eyes, her black bike still securely held in place in front of her.

" ... Dreaming of a White Christmas ..." sounded Kendra's raspy voice from the bathroom, more or less melodic and drew a disgusted snort from Max.

_Gotta go._ She thought almost panicking by now. _… My baby … Space Needle ... SOLITARY..._

"**MAX.**"

Her eyes snapped open and widened in disbelief at the sight that greeted them.

Kendra stood in the middle of the living room. A long, silky gown hugged her figure and played around her ankles. The ivory fabric of the gown looked quite expensive, leaving Max guessing how her roommate could get hands on such an exquisite piece of clothing

_Maybe I'm not the only thief around_, she thought, but couldn't picture Kendra commit any crime - not really.

"Max?" the questioning voice brought her back into present and she noticed that Kendra was looking at her expectantly; hands lifted; palms up.

"Wow." She offered, unsure which measure of enthusiasm the situation required. At Kendra's disappointed glance, she nodded appreciative and forced the corners of her mouth to lift into a wide smile.

"Wow. ... You look amazing."

"Really?"

Max nodded again and suddenly knew perfectly well, where the financial funds for the gown had come from.

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_Flashback: four weeks earlier, 21st November 2019_

_Kendra was sitting on the floor of the living room, books scattered about, while Max looked for a shirt, rummaging through tops on a clothes rack._

"_How do you spell uh … poly –merase?" Kendra asked._

_Max stopped for a moment and then answered with certainty:_

"_P.O.L.Y.M.E.R.A.S.E. Except it's pronounced "polymer-aze" with the Z like in enzyme, which is what it is. … Responsible for the duplication of the DNA molecule by allowing the oligonucleotide primers to bind to the molecular strands." _

_Kendra shook her head, a half smile touching her lips. "You're such a goofball."_

"_What are you working on?"_

"_Got a gig temping for this Japanese doctor who's in town giving a paper." _

_Kendra handed her some copies and Max sat down on the floor beside her, reading aloud: "Gene resequencing … manipulation of RNA nucleotides …"_

"_Don't ask me what any of it means. All I know … is I'm getting paid."_

_End flashback._

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"I thought you were going to attend a Christmas party tonight." Max tilted her head to one side, looking her friend up and down. "I mean … you look beautiful and all, but …"

"You think I'm overdressed."

Max shrugged.

"This isn't a kinda 'morons-and-loser-dancing-to-blaring-Hip-Hop-music-party'… It's sponsored by one of Seattle's most successful companies." Kendra stared at Max. "I tried to tell you yesterday … but you seemed so preoccupied … even kinda irritated."

The haunted look resurfaced in Max's eyes. The dark haired girl put her bike away and passed her roommate, heading for her own room.

"Sorry Kendra … have to hurry." She threw over her shoulder.

Max left the living area in a rush. Within seconds she had changed into black leather pants, red shirt and leather jacket. She grabbed the keys of her Ninja and was ready to go in record time.

She longed with every fiber of her being for her baby, revelled in the prospect of feeling the pure power of the motorcycle and the adrenalin rush that promised to suppress the … _loneliness?_

Max just wanted to get out … but when she passed Kendra again, still standing in the middle of the room, she stopped and took in a deep breath.

"Look Kendra, I'm really sorry." She stood in front of her friend a sincere look darkening her eyes. "…But this whole Christmas stuff isn't my thing, ya know."

The blonde looked sad. "But Max, I really hoped you'd come."

Dark blue eyes begged desperately and for a second Max wavered.

"This is going to be a wonderful party … and a lot of important people will be there. Come on Max, please."

Max shook her head.

But 452 pushed to the surface and announced her objection.

_A lot of important people will be there … that means a lot of beautiful jewellery … and expensive antiques … and you are so broke. Don't be stupid._

… **_Survival in enemy territory 201 – First priority is always to guarantee survival … and that means you'll need financial resources …_**

Max shook her head again, fighting to keep the upper hand against the soldier inside her.

"Oh come on Max …" A brilliant smile lit Kendra's face, when she set for the final strike. "The food will be delicious. You can't miss this."

"I have nothing to put on," she insisted weakly. _God Max, that's so lame._

Kendra grinned. "… Just a second, girl."

She rushed at impossible speed across the room, considering the dress she was wearing and then vanished behind a plastic curtain.

With a triumphant "Look" she resurfaced seconds later, holding up a dark blue dress with silvery straps and seams. "I borrowed that for you." She held the gown in front of Max and urged: "Try it … you'll look absolutely beautiful … I know."

Max felt outmanoeuvred.

_What a fine soldier you are._ She mocked herself again. _Lydecker would laugh his ass off._

Kendra looked hopefully at her, eyes big and innocent and then a huge smile lit her features.

"Oh Max, this will be so cool, believe me."

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**No. No. No. **

She couldn't believe she was doing this.

All she had so desperately longed for was to be alone; stand on the Space Needle, look down at the houses and cars and people, imagining she was one of them, not a deserted, genetically engineered super soldier.

She wanted to look from a distance, not be a part of it.

Perhaps she was getting soft?

Kendra had looked so sad, so disappointed and she had begged her to come.

And here she was, clad in an admittedly beautiful dark blue gown, in the middle of a crowd of important, or important looking, people celebrating a Christmas party.

Soft music sounded from a corner, where a piano player in a white tuxedo worked his magic on his polished instrument. The rooms were decorated with hundreds of candles, huge vases with flowers and fir twigs and even a Christmas tree stood in the middle of the hallway, glittering in all shades of red and gold.

Max tried hard not to be impressed. She let her glance once again wander over the beautifully dressed people, took in the laughter and carefree happiness. She wasn't a part of all that glamour, she thought, not knowing that she seemed to fit in perfectly with her inborn grace, beauty and self confidence.

A waiter approached them, balancing a silver tray with crystal glasses on his white gloved hand, a polite smile plastered on his face. He nodded questioningly and the girls took the offered champagne.

Max's eyes stuck on the young man, as he crossed the room with purposeful strides. She wasn't sure what it was that captured her glance; his strait posture, the superior look in his eyes, the high lifted chin? But oddly enough the man seemed familiar.

"Guy looks cute, huh?" Kendra grinned and lifted her champagne, forcing Max to shift her glance.

They clinked glasses and when Max finally turned around again, unconsciously looking for the waiter, the man was gone; swallowed by the crowd. But the weird feeling to have missed something important lingered on inside her.

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"Bling?" His voice sounded irritated, even to his own ears, as Logan stirred his wheelchair through the crowd, dodging a silvery glittering couple and ignoring the contemptuous smile of the woman, which reminded him too much of his aunt Margo.

Logan asked himself annoyed what the exact reasons for his actual whereabouts were, when all he longed for was, to spend a nice, quite evening at home.

He just wanted to sit in front of the window in the living room, watch the raindrops sail along the smooth glass surface and look down at the houses and cars and people.

He wanted to look from a distance, not be a part of it.

But Bling had persuaded him with all means to come, said he had to show him something important, dropped a hint 'Eyes Only' would be interested.

And now he tried to follow his broad shouldered physiotherapist, bodyguard and friend, having absolutely no idea what this was all about.

"Bling!" He tried again, now clearly impatient and stopped, letting the brakes of the chair snap into place with an audible 'thud'.

Bling stopped his purposeful stride and turned around, reluctantly meeting Logan's inquiring glare.

"Patience, Logan."

A smile tugged at the corners of Bling's mouth at Logan's stubborn posture, changing into a fully-grown grin, when Logan crossed his arms in front of his chest and narrowed his eyes.

"Why have you dragged me to this damn party," Logan hissed, his eyes intently searching the crowd for any clue, until they eventually got caught by a dark haired girl, standing with her back to him.

For a second he forgot everything around him and allowed himself to admire her.

The dark blue evening gown set a nice contrast to her skin and the dark hair that was pulled up at the back of her head. Only a few tendrils fell freely onto her shoulders, arousing the wish to touch them; play with them.

Somehow she must have sensed his presence, _damn genes_, because she turned around, a look of pure surprise on her face that erased all suspicions she had known he would come.

And suddenly he found himself in front of her, meeting her dark brown eyes. He felt the irritation and annoyance of the last hours fall away from him and a wide smile broke across his face.

"Max!"

**TBC?**

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Hey guys. This really was a thing I wanted to do so badly. After reading all the cliff-hanger infected stories YOU wrote, I definitely had to take revenge. ;-) Hope you liked it?

Even a short review would make my day – so please, use the little button! Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

Big thanks for all your reviews.

Surprisingly it wasn't until I "published" (LOL - that sounds sooo good) my first story at FFN that I realized how much reviews really mean to the writer. THANKS AGAIN. You guys made my day.

Disclaimer: Dark Angel still belongs to Fox, Cameron and Eglee, no money is made with this story.

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**2. Conspiracies, Candles and Champagne **

The room gleamed in the warm light of candles, throwing mystic shadows against the walls that played their own games, told their own stories. The murmuring voices of the elegantly clad guests were accompanied with soft piano music and the whole scenery conveyed the impression that the pulse had never happened. ... It was only a pathetic illusion, but it was characteristically for mankind to jump at any distraction from reality, especially at hard times.

However even Max felt herself relax, yet enjoy the evening. 452 was stowed away safely in the back of her consciousness, together with all thoughts about her siblings and Manticore. She was just a girl, mingling with the crowd, trying to have some fun.

Kendra and Max had just provided themselves with a glass of red wine, when Max suddenly felt a soft prickle arise at the back of her neck. It became stronger within seconds, made her skin crawl and then raced down her spine putting her on edge.

She tried to concentrate on Kendra's words that buzzed through the air like a myriad of insects but apparently never reached her, since all of her senses were directed elsewhere.

And finally she had to give in to her instincts.

Max turned around and almost would have dropped her glass. Only her transgenic reflexes and trained coolness prevented her from losing control. _Thanks Manticore._

She would have expected everything or everybody for that matter - but never him.

For a split second the feeling she had been outmanoeuvred overwhelmed her. _They had been plotting against her, ganged up on her._

For yet another split second she felt irritated … confused … angry.

Logan approached her, never breaking the eye contact. He stopped in front of her, still a save distance away and suddenly a huge smile broke across his face.

**She should still have been angry …**

_She wasn't the one to be manipulated. She'd never been the one to be manipulated, since Manticore._

But Max couldn't do anything against the smile that curved her lips and widened at his whispered:

"Max!"

For what seemed like an eternity they just stared at each other, wondering how to react, wondering if THIS was going to change something …

"Hey," Max finally greeted.

"Hey yourself…"

They shared another smile at the ritual both of them had formed a habit of during the past couple of month.

"Never figured, you would be the girl that attends a Christmas party." Logan smiled.

"Me neither …" Max shrugged and tilted her head to one side. "Got kinda manipulated into coming here."

The dark haired girl met his glance somewhat insistently, trying to find out if he knew; contemplating his involvement.

Logan turned around; searching for his physiotherapist and back to Max, when he realized Bling was gone.

"Bling talked me into coming here," he smiled ruefully as he understood he'd been manipulated too. "Guy even told me something about an E.O. case, said it was important for me to have a look."

"Think we've been outsmarted." Max offered, shrugging again, apparently not really concerned about their discovery, as an amused grin found its way onto her features.

"Yeah." Logan agreed. " … Might as well make the best out of it."

"Yup … Have some fun. … Kick some ass." Max suggested, hopefully lifting her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "… Um … Kendra?"

They exchanged a wide grin, but suddenly Max turned around and stared reproachfully at her friend.

"You." She accused, one hand lifted, pointing the index finger at Kendra, the other hand placed on her hip. "Don't think you'll get away with that easily."

Kendra pulled a face and then tried a compunctious expression and when she felt Max wouldn't instantly rip her head off, she asked with small voice: "Ahem … anybody hungry?" The blonde smiled brightly, suddenly on safe territory again. "Cos the buffet's opened."

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The food had been delicious and therefore exceeded all expectations. It had caused Logan to point out the fact that the American economy was finally recovering after all those years of depression.

A ray of light at the end of the tunnel was visible.

Sure, only a few people were able to see that light. The poor, the sick and the homeless were busy enough, trying to make a living; they just fought every day for survival.

Max eventually rolled her eyes and chimed in, interrupting Logan's monologue, announcing that the social studies lesson was over.

Her statement caused Bling and Kendra to exchange anxious glances, as they feared the situation was going to escalate.

"…But." Logan tried stubbornly and then became aware of the fact that Max and he had had the same discussion before … and that it had ended with the result that Max had vanished into thin air. …

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_Flashback, five month earlier, a deserted street near "Crash"_

_The two of them sauntered along the street, shoulder to shoulder; the tall, handsome man and the petite dark haired girl; … the famous Eyes Only and the beautiful Super Soldier._

"… _Overnight, the government, the police … everything intended to protect the people had been turned against them." Logan told her, his voice forceful. He had a purpose, a mission to complete and although their discussion seemed accidentally, it was anything but. _

_Max stopped abruptly and looked up into his incredible green eyes._

"_So you miss the good old days, even though poor people died from diseases when they didn't need to and rich people spent obscene amounts of money decorating the house to match the cat. … Those good old days?" The black clad girl challenged._

"_Even if they took it for granted, they still had a choice. Now they don't."_

"_So what are you gonna do about it?"_

"_Something." A half smile found its way onto his lips, bringing back the spoilt, rich guy; provoking her._

"_Personally I'm more interested in going fast on my motorcycle than getting a headache over stuff I can't do anything about." Max retorted; her defences up, maintaining her cool expression. She couldn't afford to care, couldn't afford to get involved._

"_You accept the way things are. Then you are an active participant in making things worse," Logan lectured, not realizing that he pressed too much, that she was withdrawing from him._

"_Is the social studies class over for today?" She asked sarcastically, irritation now evident in her voice and Logan finally decided to change tactics, decided to drop the subject._

"_That was an extraordinary display of athleticism the other night … a little too extraordinary. You wanna tell me how you …"_

_He wanted to see her reaction, wanted to look into her dark eyes, but when he turned around she was gone. … _

_And there he stood, in the middle of the street … alone … and surprised about the feeling of loss that spread out inside him. _

_End flashback._

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No. He couldn't risk her disappearance again, Logan decided and smiled. He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Okay, okay … you're right," he admitted, still smiling. "We're going to spend a very nice evening … we'll even try to have some fun. Our broke economy can wait … till tomorrow at least."

Max nodded and flashed him a knowing smile that showed she remembered too.

For a brief moment Max's and Logan's eyes met and the realization how much they already needed one another crashed with alarming vehemence into their minds.

The soldier inside Max still rebelled against that.

**_Emotions will cloud your judgement_**, the voice inside her insisted. **_You cannot afford to care … can't risk exposure._**

_But I do care, _the other voice retorted stubbornly. _I mean jumping head-first from a very high building to save HIM should be proof enough, right?_

**_Yeah right … that was extremely smart … I mean with Lydecker nearby and all … that seemed a very clever thing to do, ha – as if. Get a grip Max or you'll be back in a cage in no time._**

_Oh … shut up, _Max thought annoyed. _I'm just gonna have a nice evening, since I'm already here, and I'm not about to let Manticore spoil the fun AGAIN and … _

"MAX?" … Logan's soft voice crashed into her consciousness, startling her.

**_So much about being able to multitask_**; the annoying voice inside her taunted.

A soft chuckle finally brought her back into reality. She had to focus on the people around her and not on those weird voices inside her genetically improved brain.

"Look at the two of them." Bling grinned, while his eyes wandered from Max to Logan … and back to Max.

"Yeah. They are SO not like that," Kendra added with a laugh. "This is just a staring contest." She informed Bling dryly. "… and it means absolutely nothing."

"**KENDRA!**" Max and Logan protested at ones.

The blonde ducked her head and smiled brightly, apparently not at all impressed by the furious glances directed her way.

"What?" She asked innocently and shrugged. "… just telling the truth."

Max felt the warmth creep up her neck and touch her cheeks. **_No, no, no_**. She concentrated on her breathing, refused to feel embarrassed.

There was no way she'd allow herself to blush.

"Kendra," her voice wasn't wavering.

_Good. _

It was appropriately loud and clear and it sounded quite confident, so she went on: "… I was just thinking … and by the way this is none of your business, 'kay?"

She suppressed the urge to add and we are not like that, but stared with narrowed eyes at her roommate.

Kendra sensed she had carried things too far, so she decided to let the subject drop. It wasn't advisable to antagonize Max and the fun definitely wasn't worth the consequences.

"Okay," she finally gave in. "I'm sorry."

Fortunately the whole situation eased up after that short incident. The conversation turned to other, more harmless topics and Max and Logan allowed themselves to relax, but both remained careful, ready to ward off any attack on their privacy.

The music had changed from the soft classical notes played on the piano to faster rhythms handpicked by a well known DJ. The first guests had stepped onto the dance floor, eager to show their ability, or just for the fun of it; creating a wild mix of colors and motions.

Bling and Kendra eventually joined the dancers, both moving with certainty.

The exotic looking physiotherapist seemed to dominate the scene, as an aura of strength and contained energy surrounded him and the blonde woman opposite him created an exciting contrast with her pale appearance, drawing some admiring glances from both genders.

"Whoa." Max grinned. "They look kinda cute together."

Logan watched the two intently, realizing they really did. _If only_ …, he thought and felt a wave of sadness rip through his body.

**_What if …?_** Another voice asked annoyed, while he gripped the frame of his wheelchair tighter, refusing to allow his thoughts to head that way. **_I don't want to think about it._** **_I'm just gonna have a nice evening, and I'm not about to let this damn wheelchair spoil the fun AGAIN and …_**

"Logan?"

He found himself staring into her dark, expressive eyes – caught, unable to avert his gaze.

"I thought about getting us another glass of wine." She smiled softly and added with a shrug: "And hey … a penny for your thoughts."

Max watched him intently, fully aware of the fact that something bothered him.

She wasn't exactly big at this facial expression reading thing, which wasn't surprising, since she had spent the first nine years of her life at a place where showing **any** facial expression had been frowned upon and could earn you serious punishment.

But even she was able to realize the sad, almost desperate look on his face he tried to cover with a smile.

And suddenly his eyes grew wide.

"Logan?" Why sounded her voice so small, almost childlike?

**_God Max, you're pathetic_**. The voice of the soldier inside her was instantly back like a boomerang.

An icy chill ran down her spine and her own heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears.

Something wasn't right!

She suddenly felt the presence of another person right behind her and when this person spoke with rough voice, she had to fight desperately against the instinct to jump up and run.

"Mr Cale, what a pleasant surprise to meet you again."

The man stopped beside their table and the breath caught in her throat. Max hesitantly met his narrowed gray-blue eyes … and got forcefully catapulted back into her soldier self that was her only protection right now. …

**TBC**

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_**Ooops.**_

_Hope you liked it._

_I found out, I really do love flashbacks. Maybe it's because they give me an excuse to watch episodes again I've already watched a million times? Dunno. Just hope it's o.k.? Good? Bad? What do you think?_


	3. Party For Three?

Thanks again for your encouraging reviews.

The chapter is still unbetaed. If anybody has some time to do the job and beta the remaining chapters, you'd be my hero ;-). Please email me: rike137yahoo.de

Disclaimer: Dark Angel still belongs to James Cameron and Charles Eglee and those pathetic losers … 'cough' … from this FOX TV station, which was responsible for a weird season two and the cancellation of the show in the end … argh!

**Hope you enjoy!**

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**Last paragraph of chapter 2:**

"Mr Cale, what a pleasant surprise to meet you again."

The man stopped beside their table and the breath caught in her throat. Max hesitantly met his narrowed gray-blue eyes … and got forcefully catapulted back into her soldier self that was her only protection right now. …

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**3. Party For Three?**

All color suddenly had left the room and only black and white remained … and gray, a lot of gray. The romantically light of the candles got reduced to fire – a source of warmth and protection … a powerful weapon.

Her senses had heightened to full potential, taking in the noises within the room, categorizing them into different degrees of exposure. Her eyes swept the room carefully, looking for dangerous persons, hidden microphones, headsets or any sign of conspicuousness.

She had been inattentive, she suddenly realized desperately.

HE should have never been able to approach her. NEVER! She had felt save, had not even thought about Manticore any more – and here **IT** was … biting her in the ass.

Her eyes searched the room feverishly for any escape route, and she cursed herself for not having done that when she'd arrived.

**_A strategically convenient position is always essential – Tactics 101_**. The soldier inside her lectured. That was what kept her alive; always having an escape route, always knowing about the hidden backdoor or an open window, always looking over her shoulder.

But she was so tired of that. With Logan and her friends around she had felt safe. Manticore had seemed so far away.

452 shifted uncomfortably. She felt trapped. The dark blue evening gown suddenly carried a lot of weight and soldier or not, her heartbeat still pounded loudly in her own ears. The adrenaline rushed furiously through her veins and got catapulted forcefully into every cell of her tense body.

Logan, the only ally she had at the moment, had claimed a few weeks ago that Lydecker was shorter than he'd imagined, but in her eyes he seemed still taller than he actually was. An aura of strength and willpower surrounded him and he obviously didn't fit well into this surrounding; although he was properly dressed with his black tuxedo that covered a neatly pressed light gray dress shirt. A dark red tie and black leather shoes completed his appearance.

But his spine was still a bit too straight, his posture too soldier-like to really match.

_The wolf in sheep's clothing_, she thought and felt an icy chill creep down her spine.

_Was **HIS** appearance pure coincidence? _452 asked herself sceptically.

_How big was the chance that her own private antichrist crossed her way again … for the second time within five weeks?_

_Wasn't it against overwhelming odds that he showed up here? _

_He had a facility to run … a facility worth millions of dollars … a secret government operation … and he attended a Christmas party?_

_NEVER!_

_But if he knew I'm here … he wouldn't just stop by and say "hi" … right? _

_God … Zack would be so pissed, if he knew_, the rebellious part inside her mocked, refusing to accept the serious side of this situation. It brought a small part of Max back – replacing 452 again.

_Cool down!_ She told herself and forced a small smile onto her lips.

"Mr … um … Lydecker." She acknowledged his presence coolly.

Nothing betrayed the fear she felt inside and fortunately her racing heartbeat, wasn't loud enough to be heard by an ordinary. Max nodded politely into the Colonels direction but kept her seat, not willing to give him the feeling to be friendly invited for a nice small talk.

"I'm glad you got out of the "Steinlitz" unharmed." Logan offered, looking up at the man that was responsible for Max's terrible childhood, eager to draw Lydecker's attention to himself.

The dark clad man smiled, showing two rows of small white teeth. "Yes, I think that's a good thing … at least."

Lydecker's eyes shot instantly back to Max and he adjusted one of the chairs Kendra and Bling had vacated only minutes earlier.

"Hope you don't mind?" He asked casually and sat down immediately, never giving them the slightest chance to refuse.

**He was the person in control of this situation. He was the man in charge. **

During that hostage situation at the Steinlitz Hotel he'd lost control and even with his gun hadn't been able to intervene. Knowing that wasn't comforting at all and the worst had been that he'd lost the boy.

_Damn!_

The very thought was enough for him to boil with anger and he still wasn't sure how that could have happened. He had failed, missed his objection … AGAIN.

"Rachel Glasser, wasn't it?" He focussed on the dark haired beauty, brows furrowed. His eyes searched her face intently. It seemed as if he was looking for a clue, as if he searched for the missing part of a puzzle and he had to suppress the urge to tell her again that she seemed awfully familiar, somehow.

He'd seen those dark, expressive eyes before, he was sure of that.

Max still felt trapped. _Had his voice sounded sarcastically when he'd pronounced her fake name? _

_NO._ Everything was fine, or as fine as it could be under those circumstances. But Max didn't know, if she would be able to endure his piercing glances much longer.

And she most definitely had to keep Bling and Kendra away. Having Logan in the line of fire was bad enough. She had to do something, and she had to do it fast.

Nevertheless she nodded politely, keeping a blank face.

"The two of you already knew each other?" Lydecker asked curiously and added with a smirk. "I mean, before that situation at the "Steinlitz"?"

**_Unobtrusive interrogation_**, Max thought, and felt a hot wave rip through her body.

Lydecker had shifted his attention to Logan again and Max used the chance to mouth an urgent "CAREFUL" to him.

"Yeah," Logan smiled. "We are friends."

"Aahh … friends," Lydecker nodded understanding. "So you risked your life to save a … friend?"

"I knew that guy … John Darius." Logan answered calmly, not ready to jump at Lydecker's bait. "And I knew the military was about to take over. The military wouldn't have been an acceptable negotiating party for Darius and his buddies. I just wanted to help and I hoped to talk some sense into him."

"You met that terrorist before?" Lydecker asked disbelievingly.

"I'm a journalist."

"Aahh … and you have interviewed him." Lydecker concluded with a nod. "But I still think it was wrong to interfere. You endangered your own life … and the military is perfectly trained for that kind of situation. They have been able to free all remaining hostages."

_Ha, as if_. Logan thought furiously. _If it wasn't for Max YOU would've been a very dead man_.

The thought alone brought some comfort, calmed his tense nerves.

Logan shook his head and his eyes met Lydecker's again: "The Captain, who was responsible for this operation, was about to attack the terrorists when I interfered." His voice was calm, his eyes icy cold. Two could play that game. "He didn't care about the danger the hostages were in. He didn't care about the hostages at all … just waited for an excuse to go in and take Darius and his thugs out, regardless of the consequences. … That's why I had to do something."

Logan's eyes still held Lydecker's, unwavering ... until he heard the scraping sound of Max's chair. He realized with a start that she was already standing.

_She couldn't go!_

Max lifted her empty wine glass meaningfully and promised. "I'll be back in a minute." A smile broke across her face. Her dark eyes flashed approvingly at his small victory not showing the tiniest bit of the terror she probably felt at having to face her arch enemy again.

"You want some wine too?" She asked with a small shrug and when he nodded turned to Lydecker. "Can I get you something?" She managed to sound cool but not unfriendly, showing him that his presence wasn't appreciated - only tolerated.

"A water please," the Colonel said grateful, apparently oblivious to her rejection. His gaze followed her retreating form as she moved easily through the crowd. He had to suppress an annoyed curse when he lost her and he wasn't even sure why.

Angrily he focussed his attention at Logan Cale again and decided to box him in as long as this Rachel Glasser person was absent.

Donald Lydecker narrowed his eyes. His face was serious now, no trace of a smile was visible, his earlier attempts to appear casual were long forgotten. He was seeking information and he was going to get what he wanted.

His voice sounded still calm but the shadow of a threat resonated when he spoke.

"I'm looking for the boy, Jude Thatcher."

**TBC**

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Okay, okay … I know, it took me ages to update this story, but real life got in the way … and a nice skiing vacation in Austria ;-) … yadda, yadda, yadda.

I promise improvement :-).

Please use that little button down there and let me know what you think! THANKS.


	4. Careful Dance

Disclaimer: Still not mine … unfortunately …

**A big thanks to Maria656 for betaing this chapter. You did an awesome job and YOU are my personal hero! ;-)**

Hope you enjoy!

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**4. Careful dance**

Max weaved through the crowd. She made one step to the left and dodged a laughing group of women that had blocked her way. After passing them, she stepped back to the right and already felt a bit of the tension inside of her vanish. The first obstacle was placed safely between herself and Lydecker, but his intense glances still seemed to burn torrid holes into her back.

_He was still so close … too close!_

She forced herself to keep her casual pace, forced herself to let her hips sway provocatively with every step and then expertly sidestepped a couple that apparently was involved in a hot tempered argument.

_That's better … so much better._ She breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring the angrily hissed words of the couple. The goose bumps on her upper arms vanished gradually and her heartbeat went slowly but surely back to normal.

She even allowed herself to take a closer look at the Christmas tree that now stood impressively in front of her, towering above everything in the middle of the room.

The tree was lovingly decorated with gleaming stars, red globes, sweets and fairy lights. Batches of nicely wrapped up packages had been piled up beneath the far-reaching twigs of the dark green fir. It was a huge tree, and it provided perfect cover.

Max seized the chance and after ensuring that Kendra and Bling were still dancing, she scanned the room carefully for any suspicious activity. She found nothing. It seemed as if everybody was having a good time … okay, everybody except the arguing couple she had just left behind.

The bitter taste of envy ran down her throat. She had only wanted to enjoy the evening, tried to have some fun. _Life ain't fair girly-girl…,_ she told herself with a hint of sarcasm … _especially not for an X5 on the run._

A small smile crept across her face as she watched Kendra trying a hazardous hip swing and looking not very sexy in the progress. Bling's amusement showed clearly on his face and Max realized astonished that the normally so calm and quiet physiotherapist grinned from ear to ear and tried an Elvis-styled gyration too, laughing heartily when Kendra looked at him with big incredulous eyes.

Max moved forward, carefully avoiding Lydecker's field of vision, as close as possible to Bling and Kendra. She waited patiently for the right moment to catch Bling's attention and when he looked into her direction she quickly cast a final glance into every direction to make sure nobody was watching and then waved urgently for him to come over. She tried to signal him to come alone, but wasn't sure whether he'd understand the meaning of her gestures.

_God, I feel so bad about ruining their evening_, she thought as Bling bent down to speak to Kendra and finally approached her with big, ground-covering steps. Kendra just gave her a big smile and a wave, but fortunately stayed on the dance-floor.

"What's up Max?" Bling asked and grinned broadly. "You wanna join us?"

Max shook her head, her eyes downcast and then hesitantly looked up at the bronze-skinned man. "Look, I'm sorry, but …" She suddenly felt insecure. … She so didn't want to do that.

"Max … it's okay." Bling soothed and softly touched her upper arm, pushing her to spill her guts. "What's the problem? Mr I-wanna-save-the-world-and-can't-have-some-fun wants to go?"

She couldn't help but smile at Bling's not so unusual suggestion, but shook her head again. "I think Kendra and **you** need to go." She exhaled the air in a rush and looked pleadingly into his dark brown eyes. "This guy I saw at the Steinlitz Hotel … Lydecker – he's here." Max stated outright, all business now. "And he came over to ask questions about Logan's involvement at the "Steinlitz". To be honest, I have absolutely no idea what he's up to." She straightened her posture and unconsciously lifted her chin; her eyes intently meeting his.

The urgent look of her dark eyes told him more about the seriousness of the situation than words could ever have done. "And I don't wanna risk his meeting Kendra …" Max explained. "… and asking questions 'bout me or Logan. I dunno if he draws the right conclusions, but it's dangerous enough that he knows Logan and I are friends … and Kendra doesn't even know."

"Yeah, you are right." Bling stated, his smile long gone. "Can I do something to help? … He doesn't know me … so I could distract him … somehow."

Max smiled at Bling's sincere words and not for the first time since meeting him, she was grateful this man had Logan's back. "Thanks Bling." She was just about to decline his offer, when a thought crossed her mind. She tilted her head to one side and after due consideration of the idea her smile widened. "Yep, I think there might be something you can do."

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Logan felt his stomach sink to his shoes and had to suppress the urge to close his eyes. He tried hard to remain calm and impassive but wasn't sure if he succeeded.

"I don't know what gives you the idea that I know anything about Jude Thatcher," he tried carefully.

First of all he had to find out if the Colonel knew anything. Under no circumstances could he allow himself to risk giving too much information or even stumbling into a trap. It was like moving a pawn in a game of chess to lure the opponent into revealing his strategy. The only problem was that Lydecker rumbled his game easily. His mouth warped into a non-humorous smile and he leaned forward.

"Ah … the journalist." A low chuckle escaped his throat and the raspy voice had the hair on the back of Logan's neck stand on end. "You don't want to reveal information, so you ask a counter question. Very smart." The blonde man commented dryly. "Listen son, I've been working for Uncle Sam for quite some time now and that kind of situation is standard procedure for me. Don't try to outsmart me! I won't listen to any half-assed statements. I want to know the truth … and I don't have all night, understood?"

Yes. He definitely understood perfectly. A wave of nausea rolled over him and for a moment he asked himself panicking what he should do. _Now I get the slightest idea why my tough, smart-mouthed Max is so afraid of the man_, he thought. _This was like moving the queen to crush a pathetic pawn._

Realizing he had to do something, Logan nodded slowly, never breaking the eye contact, although he suddenly felt intimidated and helpless. For a second he contemplated to refuse cooperation. Lydecker couldn't squeeze him to say anything. But at the same time Logan became aware of the fact that this way he'd confess his involvement. He couldn't risk becoming the man's enemy, not with Max around.

"Look," the Colonel spoke again, a first sign of anger in his voice. "… Jude Thatcher is a seven year old boy. He was in Darius' hands when I saw him last. Somebody must have seen him. He couldn't have just vanished into thin air … and I need to find out where he is."

Logan nodded again. Everything around him seemed to shift out of focus. His mouth was suddenly dry and he had to keep himself from licking his lips. "I am sorry Mr Lydecker." Logan looked sincerely into the older man's eyes. His voice was clear and he added with certainty, "But I have absolutely no idea where the boy is."

_Plausible denying_, Logan thought dryly. He tried to build up a safe line of defense. It wasn't about winning the battle; he just wanted to get out of that unharmed. Contrary to his calm appearance, he was entirely on edge. His heart pounded violently against his ribcage and he had to remind himself to breath evenly. He knew he played a dangerous game, but he couldn't betray Jude. The boy had suffered enough and there was no way he'd allow that Jude fell into Lydecker's hands.

"Okay, let's assume I believe you," Lydecker said. "There's still the big question, how you managed to escape two hard-nosed terrorists?"

"They wanted to bring me all the way up to the roof," Logan explained calmly. The memory of that threatening situation was still very fresh in his mind … too fresh. "Fortunately one of them heard something, and they probably didn't expect me to be a big threat …" He averted his gaze, unconsciously rubbing the wheels of his chair. "…so when one of them went away to look for the source of the noise, I managed to grab the other one's gun and get away and only seconds later all hell broke loose."

He knew his explanation was lame, but it was the only thing he could come up with in such short notice. He searched Lydecker's face intently for any sign of suspicion, afraid the man wouldn't believe him, but the Colonel nodded.

"Never underestimate your enemy." A tiny smile found its way onto Lydecker's lips, when he nodded again. "You might not be able to run, but that thing …" He moved his chin to indicate he meant the chair. "… sure causes you to build up strength in your upper body."

_Oh, that was easy_, Logan thought, but couldn't help the embarrassment he felt at having this conversation. He didn't like to discuss such topics with Bling and he was his physiotherapist, but speaking with Lydecker about this stuff definitely gave him the creeps. Still, for the first time since meeting Lydecker he felt he could really deal with the situation.

_I wonder where Max is_, he thought concerned. She was absent for quite some time now and he had absolutely no clue what she was up to. _I just hope she's okay_.

**TBC**

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I know the chess-thing has been done before, but I couldn't resist the temptation and I only threw in a few crumbs 'cos it fit so well. Speaking with good ol' Deck has to be like playing a game of chess, isn't it? ;-)

I've read a story that was completely wrapped around a game of chess (just don't know the writer any more, maybe anybody can help?). It was awesome.

Please review!


	5. Hello?

**Disclaimer:** See chaps 1-4, no infringement intended!

I can't believe that's already the fifth part of a story that was intended to be a one-shot – ha, might change the title into "Easter Party" ;-) … Logan with bunny ears… or even Lydecker? LOL

Kudos to Maria for betaing the chapter despite interfering real life. THANKS.

Hope you enjoy!

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**5. Hello**

The music only reached her sensitive ears in a muffled way.

It was one of the big advantages an X5 had – being able to block out irrelevant noises to concentrate on the essence. As important as the music might be for the dancers or the general atmosphere, a party without music could hardly be called a party, for Max it meant only distraction. All of her senses were tuned in 'high alert' and her eyes darted about, intently searching the surrounding for threats.

She longed desperately to get back to Logan. _Just hope he's okay_, she thought as an overwhelming wave of fear rushed over her. Icy coldness clutched her heart mercilessly and she suddenly felt as if she'd let Logan down - AGAIN.

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_Flashback_

_Hoverdrone footage:_

_The rattling sound of gunfire bursts through the air … a man escapes the trapped car. He fires some shots at his attackers and at the same time tries to protect a little girl with one arm. … More shots tear up the eerie silence. The man goes to ground, arms still wrapped tightly around the girl that utters a high pitched cry and only seconds later gets ripped violently from his arms._

_The camera zooms in on the man, showing his handsome features, the dark blonde tousled hair … revealing dark bruises on his face. He lies helplessly in the middle of the street; his body twisted in an odd angle … eyes shut…._

_End flashback._

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The coldness became suddenly unbearable and Max shivered. A soft carpet of goose bumps formed on her arms and she had to keep herself from running.

That day at Jam Pony she'd been sure she'd lost Logan and although he wasn't a friend … although she had told herself he was just a bored, rich guy playing hero … although she didn't even like him; the mere thought he might be dead had plunged her into overwhelming darkness.

Not that she would have allowed herself to admit that to anybody, including herself. …

_Something's happened to him … I wasn't there … shouldn't have gone …_

The guilt about the events that had happened seven month ago clouded her mind, made it impossible for her to form any clear idea and once again 452 stepped in. **_There's no sense in looking back. You are capable of a lot but not even you have the ability to correct mistakes made in the past. You just have to make sure you don't make the same mistakes again._**

_Ah, that helps immensely_, Max thought, adding with some satisfaction: _At least Kendra and Bling are safe._ She took two glasses filled with red wine and a glass of water from a table near the entrance hall and now had to divide her attention, carefully balancing the three glasses between her hands. Okay, admittedly she would have been able to beat every short distance sprinter without spilling a drop but she had a façade to keep up after all.

She passed the Christmas tree again and the frequency of her heartbeat increased for another notch. _Just a few more steps_, the dark haired woman thought, now wishing all people to Timbuktu that dared to block her sight – but unfortunately witchcraft wasn't something Manticore had put into her genetic cocktail.

She forced herself to slacken her speed to an almost unbearable slow pace and sidestepped a small group of people. Her way was heavily crowded now and impatience tugged at her nerves. One last search of the room showed no visible threat, but the strong feeling of immediate danger lingered on inside her and a dark shadow seemed to hover above her, watching her every move.

Max made a few careful steps, slowly but constantly approaching her target area. With a purposely clumsy move she bumped against her last obstacle, a short, nearly bald man in his mid-forties, spilling a few drops of wine in the process that slowly rolled down the glasses and moistened the back of her hand. Her eyes shot up to the man's round face, dropped down to her precious freight and reluctantly lifted again. "Sorry." She murmured with a small shrug and an apologizing half-smile.

The man made no attempt to move out of her way. He just glared at her from bloodshot blue eyes and it became perfectly clear he'd had one or two drinks too much. _Make it five_, Max thought when she got hit by a cloud of strongly reeking breath and felt her temper rise, her smile vanishing.

"Never mind, sweetheart." The man smirked wickedly, assessing the figure in front of him with an appreciative nod and unconsciously licked his thick, fleshy lips.

_Argh,_ Max thought. Her face fell and she suddenly felt sick. She made a few hasty steps away from the man and directed her glance at the carefully held glasses, glad to have something that needed her immediate attention. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, counted at impossible speed to ten and then raised her head.

The field of vision was finally free now, their table only a short distance away. Both men, her friend and the most feared person of her childhood, regarded her intently. Logan had turned his wheelchair slightly to enable him to look into her direction. That fact alone told her all she needed to know – there had been no pleasant small talk in the meantime. No, he'd eagerly awaited her return.

Guilt once again got the better of her. She reached the table with a few careful steps, refusing to feel intimidated by Lydecker's scrutinizing glare. **_Fear accomplishes nothing!_**

"Hey, "she greeted and placed the three glasses on the table. The wine instantly left red marks on the white, silky tablecloth, reminding her of former battles, painful losses and of a past she'd rather erase from her memory. "Sorry it took me so long." She offered and met Logan's eyes with some reluctance, while the image of blood still captured her mind and the wine at her left hand suddenly felt warm and sticky.

_**Focus!**_

A soft smile played on Logan's lips, soothing her and for a split second the silent communication that went on between them required their full attention as both tried desperately to find out what had happened.

"No problem, Rachel," Logan grinned. "Hope you didn't encounter more nasty guys like him?" He nodded his had into the direction of the drunk, his grin widening, but Max understood perfectly what was really meant by his question.

She shook her head. "Fortunately not … I assume the poor man had four or five drinks too much," Max fished around in her purse, looking for a tissue, then sat down and wiped the wine from her hand. She felt a lot better now, even ready to deal with Lydecker. To judge by Logan's behavior she could almost be sure that nothing dramatic had happened.

_Just have to tell him that Kendra and Bling are safe_, Max thought.

"I met two friends of ours … the Kellies," she told Logan casually, taking her wine glass in one hand. "… I tried to persuade them to come over, but they were already leaving."

"Uh huh." Logan nodded. "That's too bad, haven't seen them in a while."

Max shrugged and pulled a regretting face. She had passed all important messages to Logan now and politely fixed her attention at Lydecker, lifting her glass. "Let's drink to a Merry Christmas Mr Lydecker, shall we?" She forced a smile on her lips. Her toast had clearly been a bit too formal, but the man ignored that and lifted his glass too.

"I think we should rather drink to the luck all of us had in getting out of the Steinlitz alive." Lydecker suggested and added with a grim smile: "… and to the luck of having one less terrorist that threatens innocent people."

"Okay," nodded Logan, not in the mood to argue and clearly not in the mood to discuss the events at the Steinlitz again, but asking himself desperately if there was any possibility to get rid of Lydecker without raising suspicions. He definitely had enough of the man's questions and his military manner. Max hadn't been excessively friendly, but unfortunately the Colonel didn't seem to bother. Logan watched the man taking a few gulps of water and then placing his glass back on the table, his face inscrutable.

"What was the name of the magazine you are working for again, Miss Glasser?" He directed his glance at his former charge, brows furrowed and certain terrorists apparently long forgotten.

_Here we go again,_ thought Logan and suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

"It **was** the BioTech Frontiers Magazine," Max answered calmly, emphasizing the "was" and exchanging a fast glance with Logan. "They never really made it, and it vanished before the first article could be published."

"Oh." Lydecker looked shocked. "So all your efforts have been in vain? The danger you've been in … all for nothing, not even a damn story?"

"Yep." Max confirmed - her face an indifferent mask and added with some sarcasm. "I could say it was an important experience … but to be honest I might pretty well have done without that."

"Sure …"

Logan's cell phone rang, cutting Lydecker off and Max fought hard to hide her relief at the perfect timing of the call.

"Yeah," Logan answered, concerned something was seriously wrong, when somebody called at such a late hour. He covered his left ear to be able to understand the speaker and narrowed his eyes in concentration, intently watched by Lydecker and Max.

"Yes, she's with me." He nodded, regardless of the fact that the person on the other end wasn't able to see him. "… Okay … I will do that."

He removed the phone from his ear and passed it over to a visibly confused Max, his green eyes still full of concern.

Max took the phone hesitantly from his outstretched hands, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hello?"

**TBC**

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**Constructive criticism greatly appreciated and even a short review will make my day ;-). Please, use the little button!**


	6. Surveillance

**Disclaimer:** Just borrowing the DA universe. Unfortunately not gonna get rich writing this story.

Dah dah … 100 points and a chocolate cookie go to Babyangel for drawing the right conclusions. ;)

Hope you enjoy!

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**6. Surveillance**

For a change it was dry in Seattle this evening; no rain, no drizzle, not even a strong wind was blowing. The black night sky was peppered with a myriad of brightly shining stars and the air smelled fresh and clean – although that impression could only be a pathetic delusion, considering the pollution of post pulse Seattle.

Max climbed swiftly into the passenger seat of the Aztec, still fully on alert. Every fiber of her strong body was still vibrating with tension. She closed the passenger door softly, eyes quickly scanning the surroundings. A short glance to her left revealed Logan, who transferred into the driver's seat with one fluid motion and then stowed away the chair with practised ease.

Max was sure Logan wouldn't feel comfortable, if he noticed her watching him, so she hurried to concentrate on the outside again.

The illuminated gray façade of the huge three-story Douglas-building, were the still ongoing party took place, loomed into the velvety night sky. The main portal between the high aspiring ancient columns was deserted and shredded noises of the party hovered in the air, probably only audible to Max – the voice of the DJ, laughter and music, while almost every window of the first floor glowed invitingly with flickering candle light.

Max realized with some satisfaction that nobody had followed them outside. They were the only ones on the big parking lot. _Just don't get it – why am I still feeling on edge? _Max felt confused. The Aztec whirred to life and she shot Logan another quick glance.

"That really was an interesting evening." Logan's lips curled up into a wry smile as he met her eyes.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun," Max jumped in sarcastically. "It's always a great pleasure to meet old friends and have nice chat."

Logan's smile grew wider. "Great idea … to have Bling call." He shifted the gear into motion, still capturing her glance. "Don't know how much longer I would've been able to bear Lydecker."

"Oh, come on … he's such a nice person." Max lifted her eyebrows and grinned, glad her trick to get away from the party had worked perfectly and even Logan had assumed for a moment that something bad had happened. So they could easily retreat with the plausible pretense that Max's sister had had a car accident and needed their help.

Logan stirred the old, reliable SUV out of the parking lot and the softly swinging movements soothed her nerves even more. _Could almost feel safe_, Max thought and felt the urge to repress the knowledge of the danger that still threatened from Lydecker.

**_Ignoring a dangerous situation doesn't inevitably mean that this situation doesn't exist_**, the soldier inside her lectured – crushing all hopes she had of spending the evening at Logan's, preferably with a game of chess and some pre-pulse wine. _Damn! Would've loved to have a nice time for a change, _Max sighed inwardly.

"Logan?" She asked and added quickly. "I have to go back … do some surveillance. … I mean, we can't be sure Lydecker believed our pathetic fairytale, and I have to know what he's up to."

The mood was instantly awkward and dark again, while all feelings of ease had vanished. Logan threw Max a concerned glance, green eyes clouding over with anxiety. "You really think that's necessary?"

"Don't wanna take a chance." Max shrugged, but a very small, 'non-soldier' part of her hoped desperately Logan would convince her everything was going to be alright, and that there was no need to go back.

_Yeah, stickin' the head into the sand like an ostrich … that's the miraculous solution for all of my problems_, she mocked herself and added bravely: "I think it's the best if you let me out after we've turned the next corner, this way we're out of sight from anybody that might be watching and I can sneak back."

"Just be careful, okay!" Logan whispered and turned off left.

A lopsided grin found its way onto Max's lips and for a second their eyes met, while Logan stopped the Aztec on the roadside.

"Will be," Max promised and added with a pout: "Only thing that really bugs me is this damn evening gown." She tugged with her fingers unhappily at the expensive material of her dress. "Would give a fortune for my cat suit or just jeans and a leather jacket." Her eyes shot down to her high heeled shoes and an annoyed sigh escaped her throat. "… Uh … and a nice pair of comfortable sneakers."

Logan nodded and couldn't help but grin at the imagination of Max doing a B&E job wearing the dark blue evening gown, Kendra's black, elegant coat and high heeled shoes.

The passenger door opened and a rush of cold air whirled in. For a split second he admired Max's graceful movements as she slipped out of the car, until he got hit by a forceful wave of bad conscience, and his grin instantly changed into a concerned expression. Logan realized suddenly that it wasn't just an average dirty street desperado Max was dealing with. It was Lydecker, a smart special agent working for a secret government operation … and a man that was searching for Max for the past ten years now, eager to put her back in a cage for his twisted experiments or even ready to kill her; a man that had made Max's childhood a living hell.

He couldn't let something happen to her!

"You can't go," Logan hissed suddenly, saddling his white horse. "Let's do this together."

"Nah," Max shook her head; leaning casually against the door frame now, she wasn't the damsel in distress. "It's too dangerous … and we can't risk Lydecker spotting us together again."

"Max ..."

"It's okay," she smiled, touched by his offer and angry protest. "I'm a big girl, ya know … and I really have to go now, don't wanna miss the almighty Colonel, right?"

Dark eyes bored into green ones in a silent battle of wills and the air was suddenly leaden with electricity; heavy with unspoken words.

"Right." Logan finally gave in, knowing that there was no way he was going to change her mind. He silently watched her retreating form as she closed the door and then vanished into the cold December night, within seconds melting with the shadows, only visible because he knew she was there.

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_Parking lot, 5 minutes later_

Max carefully pushed a thin metal wire that she'd removed from her bra in the narrow gap where the window could be sunk into the driver's door.

Her object of choice was a black BMW 325, because the car provided an easy access and had a strong and fast motor. She would've loved to grab the silver Chrysler Crossfire that sparkled enticingly on the other side of the parking lot, but the small sports car was way too conspicuous and she definitely couldn't afford raising attention.

The thin metal bow suddenly seemed to jam in the slit.

Max sucked her upper lip between her teeth in frustration and her eyes shot for the umpteenth time to the entrance area of the huge villa to make sure nobody was able to spot her. _Damn, if I only had the right equipment to get this car open_, she cursed inwardly and focussed on her work again, carefully dosing the pressure she put on her tool.

_Definitely would've failed survival training 101 with this poor performance._

She had just managed to free the wire from its stuck position, when a very low scraping noise captured her attention and set her whole body on alert. She strained her ears and detected another faint rustle only a few feet away. Max remained motionless, concentrating her hearing, her blood running cold.

_It's probably just a straying cat or any vermin_, she thought, but her well-trained body stiffened automatically. The breathing became more even, the frequency of her heartbeat increased, while a small amount of adrenaline already got channelled into her bloodstream and her senses heightened to their full potential.

"Need some help?" sounded a very low, airy voice behind her, crashing into the velvety silence.

Max whirled around, a disbelieving expression on her face, but after her 180-degree rotation fell into a stock-still rigor again, as she examined her opponent intently.

At first sight and to the untrained eye her whole posture seemed nonchalant and not the least concerned. Max had tilted her head slightly to one side and looked almost bored. Only her narrowed eyes betrayed a tiny amount of her internal jumpiness.

However, her opponent couldn't be deceived by her outward appearance as he knew how dangerous it was to underestimate anybody. He lifted his right arm slowly, avoiding any sudden movement and then waved a small black device in the air, showing it to Max with a mocking smirk.

Max rolled her eyes. There was no way her luck was **that** bad. But a soft, traitorous click confirmed her guess, as the recalcitrant lock of the BMW got unlocked behind her.

"You could've asked," the man told her with an arrogant lift of his eyebrows and then showed two rows of perfectly white teeth, grinning widely.

Max crossed her arms in front of her chest, regarding the man unimpressed. "What do you want?" she whispered quietly, a soft tinge of anger creeping into her voice.

The dark haired girl couldn't afford to feel furious or let fear consume her, but ANGER was an approximately safe emotion. Max wasn't even sure about the true reason of her anger - her own incapability of doing a job without being detected, Lydecker, for ruining her evening in the first place or the stranger, for being a new complication.

She realized that she'd been outmaneuvered for the second time this evening and slowly but surely she was getting pissed … really pissed. Her eyes met the blue ones of the "waiter" who had changed the elegant clothes he'd worn at the party, into jeans and a warm black jacket, for which Max envied him a lot.

Max was now pretty sure why the man had captured her attention in the first place. His purposeful stride, the strait posture, his handsome face and the superior look to his eyes had been the indication for one meaningful fact – he was an X5 and only an X5 could be able to approach her undetected.

But she still wasn't sure who she was dealing with and knowing that was essential - long lost sibling or Lydecker's lapdog, eager to bring her in. That was the crucial question and Max didn't even dare to hope for the first.

"Oh, come on Maxie you've been the one trying to break into my car, … and don't tell me you still don't recognize me?" The young man's face displayed a mock-hurt expression.

A burning wave ripped through her body at the mention of her childhood's nickname and her throat felt suddenly dry like sand paper, while her extraordinary fast mind already raced through all imaginable possibilities, compared almost desperately facial forms, eye and hair colors with the brown haired, handsome man in front of her.

The man met her inquiring glance calmly, his strong, well-built figure unmoving and finally Max was able to draw the right connections, to find the irregularity that had made it impossible for her to put the puzzle together before. _Blue eyes – contacts …_

A sudden joy graced her beautiful face, and the angry look softened into an expression that was reserved for her siblings only – a quiet tenderness, born of shared nightmares and horrible experiences and fighting back-to-wall for survival.

"Ryan?" she asked hesitantly, almost afraid speaking the name aloud would make him disappear.

The smile that lit her face at his nod was breath taking, but it was wiped from her lips as fast as it had appeared there, when the brother she had seen last in that fateful night in 2009 yanked her arm forcefully downward, pulling her with him.

"Lydecker," he hissed urgently, moving shoulder to shoulder with Max deeper into the shadows of the black BMW, his eyes never leaving the slowly approaching form of their creator.

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The two soldiers crouched in the darkness, motionless, their young faces transformed into indifferent masks, watching with baited breath as Lydecker crossed the parking lot and climbed into his black Dodge Durango only a few yards away.

They didn't know that at this very moment they were all Manticore wanted them to be – soldiers, silent predators and superior warriors. It was an eternal game of escape and evade they were playing, but there was still something Manticore hadn't planned for them, something all the intelligent lab techs hadn't thought about – no matter how much time had passed, how differently their lives had developed, they were still family and the bond that connected them was and would always be a strong protection and never a weakness.

And most important they weren't fighting a battle for any superior now, they were fighting for themselves.

**TBC**

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I tried my best to end this chapter without a cliff-hanger, after some protests of my dignified readers ;) and my almighty beta Maria656 … but I still don't know if my ECWS is fully cured. ;)

I'm responsible for all remaining mistakes.

**Good, bad – please let me know!**


	7. Pursuit

Disclaimer: DA and the main characters of this story belong to someone else.

A big thanks to Maria for betaing this story and to everyone for reading and reviewing. Sorry it took me so long to update, but RL interfered once again … yeah, I know that's lame, but still … ;-)

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**7. Pursuit**

Max stared lost in thought at the brightly lit screen of the highly efficient IBM ThinkPad T49, while she followed almost mechanically Ryan's softly spoken instructions that were only a bit louder than the whirring motor of the BMW.

She was able to open the sought after file without much trouble, and after a few more entered commands the street map of their direct surroundings popped up on the screen. A small red square moved, as prognosticated by Ryan, into the direction of sector 8 and Max realized they were situated only about 900 yards behind the Colonel.

Max was a bit concerned about the GPS tracker which was attached to the underside of Lydecker's SUV, despite Ryan's affirmation that Lydecker was never going to find the tiny device. But if they didn't manage to remove the tracker early enough, they and particularly Logan would probably be the first suspects, and they definitely couldn't afford to get into the line of fire again. The ice they were skating on was already pretty thin.

_But hey, that can't be helped at the moment_, Max thought with a mental shrug, still intently following the red square on the bright screen.

"You were right. He's approaching the checkpoint Westlake Avenue / Republic Street," Max said and stole a glance at her brother, whose eyes were now almost completely hidden by the visor of a baseball cap. She felt the distance that extended between them almost painfully, noticed the stubbornly set jaw and the mask-like facial expression of the X5 with disappointment.

Her eyes lowered to carefully watch the screen again, but a bigger part of her thoughts was still pondering over the man beside her. _We are soldiers_, Zack's emotionless voice echoed in the back of her head, strayed stumbling through the windings of her hyper-intelligent brain where it mounted to an insuperable wall.

**_NO_**.

She couldn't afford to lose another brother; not after she had tried for the past ten years to find her siblings, the only real family she ever had.

Her glance wandered searchingly from the laptop screen back to Ryan – X5-353 – verified a cool voice inside her and was caught by the handsome, motionless features of the 21-year old …

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_Flashback_

_Wyoming May 2008_

_It was a beautiful spring day. The sun penetrated the dense canopy of the pines in milky-bright bundles and painted a swinging picture on the needle-studded forest soil. The fragrance of wild flowers and herbs hung in the clear, warm air and the blithesome twitter of the birds sounded like music, interrupted by the excited gurgle of the gray-green river that wriggled through the impressive scenery at a small distance._

_X5-452 didn't notice all the beauty around her. She was in pain, deep pain and it was probably a miracle that she was still conscious at all_. _A delicate film of perspiration had gathered on her pale face and she fought desperately against the tears that burned hot in the corners of her eyes._

"_It's okay Maxie," her brother's voice soothed. "Just a few more minutes and we'll reach the rendezvous point." Deep concern was etched into the young boy's features, while he supported his teammate's body the best he could._

_The dark haired girl clenched her teeth, as a new wave of pain raged through her small body. But she knew she couldn't give up now. The Colonel had made it crystal clear that he wasn't going to accept any failure during that field exercise, and they'd probably be in serious trouble anyway._

_Max's wound, with shredded clothing for a bandage, was clearly recognizable as a deep laceration and if the Colonel ever found out about the true reason for Max's injury, there'd be one hell to pay._

"_Hang on baby sis," Ryan begged desperately and repeated like a silent mantra: "Just a few more minutes." …_

_And they had finally made it – fulfilled their mission. But seconds after reaching the rendezvous point Max had passed out, knowing she was safely protected in her brother's arms._

_End flashback._

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… Max's eyes were still directed at her long lost brother, while she was slowly finding back into reality.

They had never been close until they were accidentally chosen to be partners in that 'Escape and Evade' exercise. Max had spent most of her time, especially at night, with Jondy and felt drawn to Krit who resembled her incredibly. She'd always been under Zack's personal protection, while Ryan took care of Jack and adored the determined Tinga. But during that afternoon a tight bond had been built between them, welded together by a common experience, a shared secret.

"**How come you were sitting with Lydecker at the same table earlier?**" Ryan's reproachful voice crashed into her mind, unsettling her. His eyes detached from the checkpoint and from Lydecker's Dodge Durango, both being only a short distance ahead.

Despite the late hour some cars had to wait at the checkpoint, a sure indication of the fact that they were going to enter one of the better parts of town. Ryan's gaze met Max's dark brown eyes with penetrating intensity. _How could you dare to hang out with Jack's murderer_, seemed to be written in his eyes.

"Oh, as our bridge evening with Lydecker was cancelled, we thought a bit small talk at the Christmas party would be a fitting compensation," Max snapped, her eyes flashed furiously, seeming almost black in the semi-darkness of the car. But suddenly her expression changed. A shadow crossed her exotic features, accompanied by sudden sadness and disappointment.

"You really think I'm in cahoots with this damn bastard?"

The mask of the X5 slipped for a tiny moment, showed the insecurity and distrust that fought inside him, while he intently looked into his sister's eyes.

"No." He decisively shook his head and the look of his eyes softened. "I'm sorry Maxie … I just had to be sure." His lips formed into a very boyish, contagious smile and he added: "Think this little reunion will be the second secret between us."

"Lemme guess, our beloved, well-trained brother Zack strictly prohibited that you get in touch with me during your mission, right?" Max didn't sound concerned about the fact that they were ignoring a direct order.

"I couldn't allow that you broke into my car," Ryan declared, a trace of grudge in his voice and added passionately: "It's a very nice and fast car, you know?"

An impish smile found its way at Max's lips. She thought of her 'Baby' that stood lonely in the living room of her apartment at the moment and was probably being abused by Kendra as a clothesline again. "Yep … big bro, that's something I can understand perfectly well."

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Max used the time while they had to wait at the sector checkpoint to inform Ryan about her encounter with Lydecker during the genetic conference and to explain why the Colonel had approached them again at the Christmas party.

The two of them shared a short moment of common malicious joy when they realized the irony that was hidden in the situation; Lydecker unknowingly tracked down one of his super soldiers that had escaped his influence ten years ago and he hadn't the faintest idea, concentrated almost overzealously at the interrogation of the companion. The scenario was almost funny. ALMOST – that means it could have been funny, if they weren't dealing with someone as dangerous as Lydecker. They could never be sure, whether he wouldn't draw the right conclusions or get an appropriate hint during his investigation.

Their gloating died away rather quickly, when they suddenly noticed that the Colonel parked his vehicle on the roadside after passing the checkpoint control only a few cars in front of them. He opened the hood, jumped out of the Durango and bent, looking seriously busy, over the engine compartment.

"He wants to make sure he isn't pursued," Ryan snarled and watched with narrowed eyes how the Colonel examined the passing cars as inconspicuously as possible. But Ryan couldn't avoid that a trace of recognition resonated in his voice when he added softly: "Clever son of a bitch."

Max felt suddenly sick. "He must not see us together … under no circumstances can we allow him to see us together." She unconsciously clenched her teeth and stared motionless at the threatening danger on the roadside, her fingers automatically flying over the keys of the laptop, ending all programs and closing the ThinkPad with a snap. She stowed it on the backseat and tried desperately to breathe evenly.

"My ID is issued at Max Guevara," she whispered, her eyes widening unnaturally. "… and I think Lydecker can put one and one together, if he hears that name and sees us together."

"Easy Max," Ryan tried to soothe his sister. "He's alone. No TAC team far and wide, what can he do against two X5's, huh?"

Max shook her head reluctantly. "It's not just about **us**."

_I can't let anything happen to him!_

She was about to explain that a good friend was in danger and that Lydecker knew his real name and knew about their connection, when the Colonel closed the hood of the Durango with a satisfied facial expression and vanished inside of the vehicle.

"Phew," Max sighed and closed her eyes for a tiny moment. "That was close."

"Yep."

"If you hadn't surprised me on the parking lot, I would have stumbled right into a trap … unsuspecting," she realized, while gloomy pictures of a 'what-could-have-happened' – scenario hovered in front of her inner eye.

"Know your enemy," Ryan said dryly, repeating one of Lydecker's favorite sentences that instantly produced memories within both X5's that probably should have better stayed buried at their dark places.

The car in front of them, an old, battered Toyota with a Californian licence plate moved forward to the checkpoint now and Max pulled her ID from the inside pocked of her coat. **_It is essential to be well prepared in dangerous situations!_** She watched sceptically when the car in front of them got controlled, feeling that 452 pushed to the surface again.

"They seem to be pretty thorough today." Ryan observed with concerned voice.

The driver of the Toyota even had to get out of the car now and allowed grumbling that he was felt out for weapons, while his car was searched with a bright flashlight by the another officer.

From the line behind them impatient hooting was already audible, annoyed faces poked out of car windows, the first swearwords were hissed. Suppressed tension hovered suddenly in the air. Furious helplessness collided with provocatively displayed power, a phenomenon that was visible on a daily basis in post-pulse Seattle.

Max saw out of the corner of her eye that her brother inconspicuously reached for the leg of his jeans (**_You always need a well hidden weapon!_**) and leaned back into his seat only shortly after, his face an indifferent mask, while two more heavily armed sector cops stepped out of the gray stone building and took their position on the roadside.

"Hope your papers are all right," Max hissed.

"Hey, you are speaking with Big M's top student in informatics." The X5 sounded almost offended. "Brian Fraser, born in Eugene, Oregon at the 14th of may 1996 – I thought it wouldn't be bad to be a bit older." Ryan grinned now and meaningfully wriggled his eyebrows.

Max felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth and 452 finally vanished for good into the depth of her consciousness. Warmth spread inside her, and suddenly she was sure that every single minute of this kinky evening was worth the trouble. She imagined telling Logan about her encounter with Ryan, felt a longing to hear his voice, see his green eyes. She wanted to tell him about her family, to share her joy.

_Damn, where are this thoughts coming from_, she asked herself confused, but the smile still lingered on her face and when they moved forward to the checkpoint she beamed at the police man with twinkling eyes.

"Good evening officer." She handed her ID card over Ryan to the grimly looking man, anxious to present her well built figure and to give the officer the right amount of insight, without seeming cheap.

The officer's eyes went big and his lips dropped open, while he stared at the beautiful young Lady. After short examination he gave Ryan their documents back and actually managed a smile. "You can pass." His gaze wandered over to Max, visibly satisfied by the sight and he continued with a wink: "Wish you a pleasant evening and a Merry Christmas."

Max gave him a friendly nod, but was glad when the BMW pulled out and she could allow the corners of her mouth to get back into their normal position.

"Poor guy," Ryan pitied the police officer. "Seemed quite helpless, confronted with the accumulated charge of female X5 charm."

Max shrugged untouched, not willing to raise the slightest amount of sympathy for the greasy police man. Her face showed already the first sign of silent concentration. She fished at the backseat for the laptop while Ryan accelerated the car once again.

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_Sector 9, Fogle Towers, 11:30 pm_

The spacey room was only partly lit by a small desk lamp and the bluish light that was provided by two flickering LCD screens.

Logan's fingers hammered in a fast staccato over the key pad of his computer. He had retreated fully into his own world of bits and bytes, completely oblivious to his surroundings, even detached from human needs. An important task had to be coped with and Logan had to be fast, very fast. His eyes followed the input on the screen, his face an indifferent mask, while his upper body was bolt upright, proving his inner tension.

First priority was Max's fake identity and he already was busy to scatter manipulated background information on the Internet. He already had recorded Rachel Glasser in the state-run systems as being the daughter of Julia and Daniel Glasser, born at September 28th 1998 and he had established the fake identity of her older sister, which according to the admission records had been brought into the ER of the Harbour Lights Hospital today at 09:15 pm due to a car accident. He had indicated her release for 11:20 pm, since she had suffered, according to the hospital documents, only minor injuries.

The establishing of the manipulated information wasn't a big deal for Logan. He had often generated new identities in the past, was able to deal with the safety measures of the state-controlled Net blindfolded. His biggest problem was to cover the tracks of his work. He assumed Lydecker had sufficient qualified manpower and that meant Logan had to be very careful.

A tiny mistake, an apparently minor inconsistency in the data could possibly have the house of cards of Rachel Glasser's fake identity collapse. If Lydecker ever found the slightest reason to double-check the data at the appropriate institutions, his distrust would instantly be confirmed, which would inevitably result in a very dangerous situation, when Lydecker knocked at his apartment door, demanding answers. And the Colonel wouldn't let him get off the hook this easily again, Logan was sure of that.

An idea suddenly crossed Logan's mind and he hurried to finish the command he had just begun and reached for his cordless phone, reluctant to detach from the spell of technology.

Soft beep tones announced that a connection would be established, after Logan had pushed the speed calling button. He used the small break to stretch his arms over his head, the phone secured between shoulder and chin, rubbed his eyes tiredly and then raked one hand through the dark blonde, spiky hair. His glance dropped at the display of the time in the right corner of the screen … 11:50 …. and he grimaced.

_Just hope Max is okay._

"Hello?" The voice on the other end of the line sounded oddly metallic.

"Sebastian? It's me, Logan. Hope I didn't wake you.

An amphoric snort had Logan breathe a sigh of relief.

"Never go to bed before two in the morning. Sitting still the whole day doesn't really burn up much energy." The voice was even and the words oddly elongated, due to the technical devices that were necessary to produce them. "So enough time to sniff out good conspiracies. What's up, Logan?"

"Time is running short and I could use some help on a very urgent case."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Dunno if it's safe via phone. I'd prefer to send a coded mail." Logan scraped the back of his head and unconsciously narrowed his eyes.

"No problem. I get back to you asap."

"Thanks Sebastian, I really appreciate your help."

Logan ended the call and a small satisfied smile found the way onto his lips. He took a few hasty gulps from the water bottle that stood beside his computer screen and put the phone away, already phrasing the mail he was going to send to his friend and hurrying to start writing.

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Logan leaned back, breathing a sigh of relief and closed his eyes for a tiny moment. Leaden tiredness crept through his body and he felt his head getting heavier and heavier. All inputs were completed and Sebastian had cross-checked the data for him. Sleep threatened to overwhelm him and for a second Logan was tempted to give into the almost overpowering urge.

…

Darkness engulfed him. His breathing became deeper and more even until one single word raced like a hurricane through his foggy mind, jolting him awake.

… **_MAX _…**

Logan opened his eyes with a start. His glance fell onto the dark computer screen. He hadn't the slightest idea how much time had passed, but the fact that the computer had changed into stand-by mode was enough to tighten his throat.

His glance wandered through the room and got caught by the blue gleaming numbers of a digital clock. 02:23 showed the display.

A sharp intake of breath; _just hope nothing has happened to Max_. Logan felt his heartbeat quicken as the first touch of panic washed over his tired body.

"You sleepin' at your computer again?"

Logan whirled the wheelchair around, eyes opened widely.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk … don't think Bling would be too happy to hear that." Max shook her head disapprovingly, but there was definitely the trace of a smile in her voice.

Logan felt that the heavy weight seemed to lift from his breast and the corners of his mouth twisted into a wide grin.

"Glad to see you," he confessed. His gaze met Max's dark eyes, got captured by the inscrutable depth. "And, did you read Lydecker a bedtime story?" His voice sounded sluggish, heavy with tiredness.

Max smiled, covering the distance between them and leaned casually against the computer desk with one hip. It wasn't a sad smile, Logan realized. Her eyes didn't show the haunted look he had seen on other occasions when she spoke about Manticore, or Lydecker and Logan instantly knew she really was alright.

TBC

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As always – please use the little button and let me know what ya think!

THANKS for reading.


	8. Sleepless In Seattle

A/N: I can't believe it – this was intended to be the last chapter of this story, definitely. But **NO**, the characters had their own agenda, interfering once again, taking control of the situation, damn! Furiously stamps a food on the floor.

The name of the chapter is borrowed and I know it has probably been done a million times before ;-) … but still, I couldn't resist the temptation.

As always I'd like to thank Maria for the wonderful job she did, in making this a better story … big hugs to you!

Thanks for hanging on folks, and a huge thanks to everyone who took the time to review my work! Your feedback means a lot to me!

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**8. Sleepless in Seattle**

_Fogle Towers, 02:45 am_

The room was filled with the coffee maker's busy puffing and the enticing fragrance of the dark brown beverage hovered through the air, penetrating Max's sensitive nostrils. She took a deep breath, savoring the rich aroma and the cozy feeling that flooded her body. She felt oddly content, and the dark, cold December night lingering just outside the huge living room windows seemed a universe away.

Max had changed into black jeans and a turtleneck sweater and was now sitting with her feet tucked under her on Logan's leather couch, patiently waiting for him to return from the bathroom. She had made herself comfortable and was staring out into the darkness. When the last noises of the coffee maker died down, the dark haired girl tilted her head to one side and with one swift movement jumped up from the couch. She sauntered over to the kitchen, realizing with a soft smile that the rippling of water in the bathroom had stopped as well.

Max took two mugs from a cupboard and poured coffee into them, the smile still hanging around the edges of her mouth. She hadn't had a chance to persuade an overtired Logan to go to bed, and the bad conscience for coming here at such a late hour gnawed on her, but still, the bigger, more selfish part of her was glad about the company.

_That's what friends are for, right? _

Max carried the steaming mugs over to the couch, her smile widening. Warmth spread out inside her. _Friends_, she disbelievingly shook her head, eyes sparkling and now had a softness about her that made her look very young and innocent.

But suddenly a huge lump formed in her throat. _Lydecker isn't going to take that away from me_, she thought fiercely, n_ever again and neither is Zack_. Her brows furrowed. She put the mugs down on the coffee table, while her eyes got a distant faraway look...

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_Flashback, 2 hours earlier, sector 8_

"_And, have you seen any of the others," Max asked hopefully, her voice just a soft whisper, hovering through the darkness of the car; big, dark eyes silently begging for the truth._

"_Zack is kinda obsessed with this subject." Ryan said and added with some exasperation: "The – the only person you can rely on is yourself – stuff … yadda, yadda, yadda. I can't hear that lecture any more."_

_Max's face fell, disappointment crossing her features like a gloomy shadow._

"_But I saw Brin in San Diego," Ryan hurried to tell her. "She never was a star at Escape and Evade; so she got herself into trouble a few times and Zack needed my help."_

"_Brin," Max smiled, remembering the Asian looking girl with heavy, black hair and dark, mysterious eyes, who was always one of the first to be captured during their exercises in the woods. She was probably only saved from severe disciplinary measures because she was one of the best in hand to hand combat._

"_And I know that Syl and Krit stayed together, and not even Zack was able to make them split up." A gleeful smirk found its way onto his lips and he added: "Tinga lives with an ordinary for a couple of years now, I think in Portland, but I'm not sure. She refuses to move to another town and Jondy …"_

"_Jondy made it?" Max interrupted excitedly._

"_Yep," Ryan confirmed crisply. He knew how close Max and Jondy had been, and it hurt to look into Max's hopeful eyes, knowing he wasn't able to help. "She's fine, but I have no idea where she is …"_

"_It's great to know she's out there somewhere, you know?"_

_Ryan smiled and nodded, but the smile suddenly vanished from his face, leaving a look of pain and incredible sadness behind. Max watched her brother intently. Ryan's shoulders had sagged visibly. His lips were pressed together tightly, forming a thin line. He had lowered his head, determinedly averting his eyes, and his entire posture showed how much he was hurting … still … even after so much time had passed._

"_I'm sorry, Ryan." Max whispered. She couldn't think of anything else to say._

_Her eyes wandered from her brother's unmoving form to the façade of the still reasonably presentable Seattle Hilton, stopping at the sight of a dark window on the 7th floor, where she knew Lydecker was sleeping, and for a second she wished she'd let him die that day at the genetics conference, for Jack's sake …and for Eva._

"_We should have done something, Max," Ryan said fiercely. "We should have protected him … but we let it happen … let them take him."_

_Max closed her eyes, trying to chase away her brother's image … a young boy, lying pale and motionless on a cold metal table, eyes closed, ribcage cut open. Tears stung against the corners of her eyes, eager to break free, and she had to take a long, shaky breath to force them back. When she opened her eyes again, blinking wildly, Ryan had buried his head in his hands, his face completely hidden. _

"_I've always asked myself, if someone like Lydecker can sleep peacefully at night." Ryan murmured. He lifted his head and his eyes shot upwards to the window of Lydecker's room, his pupils widening, leaving only a thin ring of blue in his eyes. "He's probably still thinking he's doing the right thing." The words cut through the silence, calmly spoken but tinged with bitterness._

"_Yeah," Max grimaced. She had already asked herself the same question, especially after ending up face to face with Lydecker at the genetics conference. She had always had the strong feeling the Colonel believed with every fiber of his being that Manticore was of essential importance. She knew there were always two sides of a story, yet she couldn't find a reason that justified the brutal torture of children, a reason that justified the living hell Manticore had been, the death of her siblings._

_Max met her brother's eyes again, stating with vehemence: "But it's wrong … completely wrong."_

_The two of them locked gazes and when Ryan spoke after a long moment of silence, his voice was strong and determined. "We'll stay in contact, Maxie. Zack doesn't have to know … and if I ever find out about Jondy or the others, I'll let you know."_

"_Promise?" A small smile lit Max face and widened, when she finally took in the real meaning of his words. It was a breathtaking smile of great relief and it turned into a mischievous, lopsided grin, when she realized they were conspiring against Zack._

"_Promise," Ryan answered firmly._

_The air in the car seemed suddenly softer. It had lost a bit of its freezing coldness and when Ryan opened the door to go to retrieve the tracking device from Lydecker's Durango, Max was still smiling. "I'm glad I found you," she spoke into the darkness. "And I'm not gonna lose you again."_

_End Flashback._

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Max's eyes met her blurred reflection in the living-room window. There was still the trace of a smile on her face, but she also found the wet remnant of a tear, which had secretly found its salty way over her cheek.

The soft sound of rubber wheels on the wooden floor announced Logan's approach and brought her finally back into reality. She furtively rubbed the back of her hand over her cheek, removing all traces of weakness and turned around to face Logan, who had now reached the coffee table and was regarding her intently, snapping the breaks of his wheelchair into place, his hair still damp and dishevelled, his knees only inches away from the couch.

Max took a deep breath, hesitantly meeting the expectant eyes in front of her. For a split second she allowed herself to get lost in the intense green, to enjoy the gentleness and deep concern she found in their depth; concern for those who struggled on the dark side of life, for the downtrodden **and** serious concern for her, until she forced herself to lower her glance.

She reached for her coffee mug, directing all concentration at the simple task of lifting it and took a small, careful sip of the hot liquid.

Logan grinned at her contently murmured "Hmmm," wondering if he'd ever get tired of admiring her enthusiasm for relatively normal things, like a hot coffee or one of his culinary miracles. Things he took for granted - a simple warm shower and a fluffy towel would make her incredibly happy, and she could burst into childlike excitement when he took a mousse au chocolate from the fridge for dessert.

Max showed no signs that indicated she was going to start the conversation. Impatience gnawed at him. He was eager to find out what had happened. Taking a gulp of his own coffee, he looked at Max over the brim of his mug, leaning a bit forward in his chair.

"And, how did it go?" He finally gave in to his curiosity, trying to catch her eye.

Max grinned, and he couldn't help but feel as if he had lost a game he didn't even know he was playing.

"I met my brother." Her voice sounded triumphantly and a bit breathless, when she blurted out the news, cut to the point, meeting his eyes again.

"You went after Lydecker and met your brother," Logan stated matter-of-factly. "… and considering your cat-that-found-the-cream look, I assume it wasn't Zack, huh?"

Max laughed, eyes dancing. "Imagine, I went back to the parking lot and decided on a black BMW …"

"You broke into a car."

"Yep … or I tried at least … couldn't have followed Lydecker by foot, right?" She rolled her eyes. "Running full speed after his car isn't exactly inconspicuous."

Logan felt a grin touch his lips. He wondered with some self-irony, why he still was so shocked about her methods; hacking into TV programs to broadcast Eyes Only messages was probably more a criminal act than stealing a car, and when it came to Eyes Only in general he didn't care about breaking the law at all, but still …

He concentrated his attention at Max again and nodded, silently urging her to continue.

Max dropped her voice and narrowed her eyes. "I tried to get this damn car open, but suddenly …" She paused for a moment and then went on dramatically, her smile long gone: "I heard a faint rustle only a few feet away. I remained motionless, hoping it was just a straying cat or any vermin, but out of the blue, a man stood behind me, announcing his presence with an ironic 'Need some help?'."

Logan's mouth dropped open. The scene had played out like a movie in front of his inner eye, and at the same time he was caught by Max's dark eyes, unable to move.

"I was shell-shocked and even more so, when the arrogant bastard lifted his hand, waving a small black device in the air …" She stopped mid-sentence, tilted her head to one side and then grinned widely. "And … believe it or not, the arrogant bastard's my brother Ryan … and the black device was the remote of HIS black BMW." A giggle escaped her lips and she vigorously shook her head, as if she couldn't believe what had happened.

A huge grin stretched over Logan's face as he watched her with baited breath. He couldn't recall having ever seen her thus relaxed, thus happy before and realized that a new, softer side of Max had been dug out during this weird evening.

He wasn't able to detach his eyes from her beautiful face, afraid that a blink would drive away that happiness and break the spell.

"It turns out that Zack tries to keep track of Lydecker whenever possible." Max told him more serious now. "And when he got the 411 from one of his sources that Lydecker was on his way to Seattle, he sent Ryan to keep him under surveillance, suspecting that his being in Seattle had something to do with me."

Logan took another gulp of his coffee and nodded. "Clever." Admiration lay in his uttered word, but he wrinkled his brows as a disturbing thought crossed his mind. "But isn't it too dangerous to be near Lydecker, for all of you? … There's always the risk of exposure."

"But knowing about his intentions is definitely worth the risk, believe me," Max ensured. "And he doesn't know what we look like. I spent the first nine years of my life with Ryan and I just had the faint feeling he reminded me of someone when I saw him at the party, cos he had put on blue contacts and dressed up as a waiter."

Logan nodded, knowing for sure he'd no chance of winning an argument when it came to tactics. Max and her siblings had received lessons that taught them exactly how to deal with such kind of situations during their time at Manticore.

_But exactly that might be the real danger_, he thought. He tried to chase away the uneasy feeling that suddenly twisted his stomach, failing miserably.

"I just don't like the idea." He admitted with a shrug, the concerned glance contradicting his casual voice. "Lydecker is a clever son of a bitch and I'm afraid he could use the things he taught you against you."

Max tilted her head to one side and stared into the distance. Was there anything they hadn't noticed? Was there any chance Logan was right and Lydecker was playing his own games?

_**Know your enemy … deception is a weapon … it's always essential to know about your enemy's whereabouts … finding out your enemy's plans will give you the possibility to react in time …always try to keep one step ahead of your enemy…**_

Her head was ringing.

Everything that had happened in the last few hours raced through her mind like fast forwarding a DVD. She evaluated every sequence, considered every angle and suddenly she jumped up from the couch, as if she couldn't bear it to sit any longer.

Logan regarded her intently, his own anxiety increasing with every restless step Max took, his tiredness long forgotten.

It took her a few minutes to come to a conclusion. Eventually she had stopped her pacing and headed for the window, staring out into the uninviting darkness, arms folded in front of her chest, and when her calm voice finally cut through the silence, it startled Logan out of his own thinking.

"Lydecker was extremely carefully," she said, still facing the window, spine straight, feet set shoulder-wide apart, the mass of dark locks that fell freely past her shoulders a strange contrast to her soldier-like stance. "After he had passed the Checkpoint to sector 8, he waited for the next two cars to drive through, before he went on, making sure he wasn't followed."

Max turned around and her blank face told Logan all he needed to know – she wasn't going to get rest tonight, it would be another sleepless night for her.

"We were just lucky Ryan had fixed the tracker on Lydecker's SUV … otherwise …" Her voice trailed off and she shrugged. "Think we need to be more careful, **I** need to be more careful, especially since Lydecker knows about our connection."

Max averted her eyes. A sudden sadness crept silently through her body, leaving a hollow feeling inside her. It pressed her throat together in an iron grip and erased the happiness she'd felt only minutes ago, like a sponge that wiped chalk words off a blackboard.

All that remained was a huge wall of emptiness.

"I gotta go," Max blurted out. She met his eyes for a short moment, the haunted glance softening when she promised: "I'll be careful."

Logan nodded, helplessly watching her retreating form, hands on the wheels, as if unsure if he should follow her. For a moment he berated himself for speaking his concerns aloud. He'd spoiled the mood … chased her away with some unfounded speculation.

Only seconds later the door shut behind her, telling him with an air of finality that she was gone.

He knew it was going to be a long night. His hands clenched into fists, when a wave of emptiness washed over him. "Sleepless In Seattle", the old pre-pulse movie title bounced through his head. It mocked him, painted a bitter smile on his face. He loosened the brakes and pushed the chair a bit forward, claiming the spot, where Max had been standing just a few minutes ago.

He stared out into the darkness. A mass of tiny light points glimmered down below in the distance, and despite his aversion of heights the view was oddly calming. _She's gonna be alright_, he thought eventually and suddenly knew for sure she'd be back in the morning, sauntering into his kitchen, announcing she was starving. She would move with that inborn grace that had amazed him from the first time he'd seen her, before everything had crashed down on him, before his world was thrown out of joint.

He still wasn't sure what it was that always brought her back to him; their 'quid pro quo', his culinary miracles? It was a strange connection – the perfect, beautiful super soldier and the paralyzed cyber-journalist. But despite Lydecker's search for her and despite meeting two of her brothers she'd never spoken of leaving Seattle. Knowing that brought a small, satisfied smile on his face. Maybe, just maybe his mother was really right, and the universe was right on schedule.

TBC

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Please, please, please let me know what you think and drop a review!


	9. Missing Piece

**A/N**: Still no money made with this story. The DA characters belong to someone else …

This chapter is written in denial of the 2nd season and therefore the Seattle facility doesn't exist. To be honest I think the whole first season would've developed differently if there was such a facility in or near Seattle.

As always hugs to Maria, who, despite little spare time and ISP problems is still helping me with this story. THANKS! You're the best. :)

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**9. Missing Piece**

Donald Lydecker didn't sleep well; in fact he hardly slept at all. Despite the comfortable furnished hotel room, despite being tired as hell, he just tossed and turned and when he finally drifted into a restless sleep, the past week's events followed him into a foggy dream world of dark shadows and dangerous creatures … _again_.

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The room was still tinted with the pitch black remnants of the fading night when morning awoke him roughly. He opened his eyes, stared into darkness and the first thing he felt was emptiness and lingering fear. He blinked, trying to chase away the shreds of his dream. Donald Lydecker wasn't one to be haunted by nightmares! He wouldn't allow fear to consume him; fear wasn't an acceptable emotion, it accomplished nothing.

Slowly his thoughts became more coherent, and the fear dispersed like clouds after a heavy rain, but the uneasy feeling to have missed something, something important, remained. There had to be a reason for this dreams.

He knew for sure that he still hadn't digested the events that had happened at the Steinlitz Hotel. He'd lost control, had been at the terrorists' mercy, and Lydecker still hadn't the faintest idea, how he'd been able to get out of that unscathed. The sound of a cocking gun over his unmoving form was still echoing loudly in his mind and the sound repeated in his dreams over and over again. He could've died that day, lying on the hard, cold floor, unable to move, unable to fight, having no chance of defending himself.

_**Always stay in control of a situation**_ was a rule he'd hammered into his kids' heads. It was essential, he realized with a grim smile, but sometimes it just wasn't possible to follow that rule.

The blond man switched on the small bedside lamp, flooding the room with soft, yellow light and rose from his bed, putting his feet into a pair of dark blue slippers that were provided by the hotel and then shrugged into a matching bathrobe that waited on a chair beside his bed. _What a luxury_.

He sunk his hands deep into the bathrobe's soft pockets, and sauntered over to the window, leaning with one shoulder against the wall, intentionally ignoring the Christmas decoration that was reflected in the window. His glance wandered over the streets and the cars in the near distance and he intuitively searched the area for visible threats, but at the same time he was sure he wasn't going to see something.

**They** wouldn't disappoint him!

For a short moment he asked himself startled, if paranoia had gotten a hold of him, but then realized with a soft sigh that finding a highly efficient tracking device fixed to his ride could hardly be called paranoia. They had turned the tables, tried to keep him under surveillance, exactly how he'd taught them.

A wave of pride ripped through his body and he allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.

They had become everything he wanted them to be. Zack, who was created and taught to be the leader of the group, was still taking care of them, Lydecker was sure of that. Zack had been in San Diego when they'd almost brought Brin home (_ALMOST! Damn._), and he'd killed the PI, Vogelsang, when one of the other's, Lydecker assumed it had been Jondy or even Max, was about to stumble into his trap here in Seattle.

The Colonel wasn't happy about the fact that they still managed to elude his control. He admired their capabilities, sure, but nevertheless it was essential that he brought them back, for a lot of different reasons, the least important being the pressure the committee was putting on him. He needed them back at Manticore and first of all he had to find Max.

X5-452 , aka Max, had been the crucial catalyst for the escape and Lydecker believed firmly that getting her back to Manticore might also be the key to bring all of them home.

Just the very thought of getting back in control again brought a bubble of excitement with it. _They have no idea how powerful they are_, Lydecker thought, narrowing his eyes.

It wasn't pure coincidence that he'd come to Seattle. If the female X5 he'd already encountered four times in or near Seattle was really Max, as he strongly assumed, coming to Seattle was his best shot.

_**Always keep moving in enemy territory**_ was an essential rule, he had taught his kids. But the escape had been almost ten years ago. Eventually they would get tired of running, have enough of always looking over their shoulder. They would connect to others, build up relationships. And that's when he had his best chance. Lydecker smiled softly. Max would surely be one of the first to ignore Zack's orders. She'd always been strong minded and stubborn, even reluctant to accept authority.

He was looking for Jude, of course – the boy could really help his lab techs to understand Dr Tanaka's work; help using Tanaka's conclusions for their own work with the X-series, to prevent further damage, resulting from mistakes that were made in the past. But compared to his task of finding the X5 escapees and bringing them back to Manticore, Jude Thatcher was just a small fish.

_Jude Thatcher_, he scoffed inwardly, wondering for the umpteenth time how the boy could have vanished into thin air after the terrorists' attack. The Seattle PD assumed that one of Darius' buddies had taken the boy to protect him. It was a comprehensible assumption, because Jude had been the reason for the terrorists' interference in the first place. But Lydecker doubted that nevertheless. The building had been crawling with police and military personnel and he couldn't imagine that any of the terrorists had gotten away with the boy unnoticed. No way!

Unfortunately it was complicated to investigate in post-pulse America, even with Manticore's resources. Important data got lost, lists of the residents' registration office were incomplete or the facts were outdated. Sure, it had been easy to find Logan Cale, as the Cales were and had always been of significant importance in the Northwest and especially here in Seattle. And as luck would have it, he'd met the man together with another hostage, Rachel Glasser. Lydecker shook his head, while the odd feeling that he overlooked something pushed to the surface again.

Logan Cale had come across convincingly the day before, but still, his statements seemed a bit far-fetched, and somehow a man who risked his life to free female hostages definitely qualified for protecting a little boy as well.

Was Logan Cale just another wannabe hero? He'd have to look into the man's past again, try to dig out something usable. The man's behavior definitely didn't fit his extraordinarily wealthy upbringing. His physical status could possibly be a reason for his chivalrous sacrifice; or the woman – Rachel Glasser.

Donald Lydecker snorted and shook his head again, visibly frustrated. His thoughts were spinning around in circles and he still searched for something palpable, not just a load of assumptions.

A last sweep of the surrounding area was taken, before the blond man turned away from the window and decisively crossed the room with a few purposeful steps.

First of all he needed a coffee, black and strong. A content smile showed on Lydecker's features as he took the telephone receiver and ordered breakfast and coffee. _What a luxury_, he thought again, still smiling. But somehow he could get used to that.

The morning routine was done quickly and only when Lydecker left the bathroom, fully dressed now, did he allow himself to think about the encounter during the Christmas party again.

_What was it that always brought back his thoughts to the petite dark haired girl again_, he wondered, pressing his lips together in irritation. _**Rachel Glasser**_, he narrowed his eyes, wringing his brain for an important clue, waiting for the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place; only they didn't.

"Damn," he muttered angrily, pacing through the room like an agitated predator, trying to recall everything he'd learned about the girl during the genetics conference.

_She seemed kinda upset, when I first spoke to her in the entrance hall, and she looked as if she was about to leave_. That fact alone was already interesting, especially if he considered her fearless and calm behavior during the terrorists' attack. She hadn't been frightened, even spoke up against Darius and always tried to protect the boy.

Lydecker shook his head as a fact that, until now, had eluded his senses, suddenly sprung to his mind, almost startling him. _**DAMN**_.

Rachel Glasser had refused to go, when Darius released the women. She had volunteered to stay with Jude Thatcher, to protect him. _Who would do something like that in such a dangerous situation?_ Lydecker wondered. But Darius had forced her to go.

_Was there any chance she'd come back for the boy?_

Lydecker felt a rush of excitement. He tried to analyze Rachel Glasser's behavior. She was brave and clever, seemed even older than she actually could be, and most importantly she cared about the boy.

Still contemplating her involvement, still deep in thought, Donald Lydecker crossed the room again, pulling his cell phone from the inside pocket of his black parka. He couldn't leave the lead unattended, even if it was built on shaky ground.

Colonel Donald Lydecker had already the cell phone in his hand and his index finger was about to push the first button, when sudden realization hit him like a brick wall.

He swore.

It was 06:45 in the morning and it was the 24th of December. His fist connected with the polished wood of the dressing table that covered the wall opposite to the bed, shaking the Christmas arrangement, causing one of the two dark red candles to collapse. It landed with a loud thump on the dressing table, rolled clattering over the surface, until it was stopped by the palm of Lydecker's hand.

The man closed his eyes for a short moment, containing his anger. When he had finally found back to his calm self again, an exhausted sigh escaped his lips.

He needed distance. It was Christmas after all and the last time he'd had a few days off were already months ago. Too much was at stake to risk making mistakes, and he couldn't allow himself to become obsessed with the case.

He'd visit his sister in Vancouver as he'd promised a few weeks ago and come back to Seattle after the holidays. Donald Lydecker nodded, strengthening his decision. Logan Cale and Rachel Glasser wouldn't just vanish within a few days. Why should they? He wasn't exactly thrilled by the thought of spending the next days in such a festive atmosphere. Christmas had lost its spell for him some decades ago. The look of his gray-blue eyes hardened. He wasn't going to go there, wouldn't permit himself to think of _**HER**_.

_What was it about Christmas that suddenly made you so sentimental, so soft … even weak?_

Donald Lydecker straightened decisively. He needed to get his head in the game. Nobody was to know about the only remaining member of his family that meant something to him, and there was still an X5 on his tail. Never underestimate your enemy, was one of his rules for life, and he sure as hell wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating the threat of being chased by one of his kids. He had to get rid of the tracker after he'd passed the city border, Lydecker decided. He'd remove it from his car, after he'd left Seattle.

A grim smile formed on his lips. Wasn't it ironic that after years of searching for the renegade X5's, now it was he who was being chased? He still couldn't be sure it was one of them … one of his. But all those years he'd waited for something like that to happen. He had trained them well, and it was just obvious. But now it had occurred at the worst possible moment. It was Christmas and for once he had no backup team waiting on standby.

_Damn_, he cursed again, fuming at the injustice of life. If only he'd his coffee by now.

And as if Donald Lydecker had been heard by a higher power, not that he truly believed in something like that, a loud knock announced the arrival of his breakfast.

Lydecker breathed a sigh of relief and headed for the door. _Finally._

TBC

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Reviews greatly appreciated! More M,L and Ryan in the next chapter ... promise! ;)


	10. Just A Beautiful Day, Part One

**A/N:** The DA universe still belongs to someone else and no money is made with this story.

I really, really wanted to finish this story till Christmas. Unfortunately time was once again running against (poor) me and my laptop had other plans (damn thing keeps turning itself off without warning) … strokes the device soothingly. :P

I just wanted to post something at Christmas, so I decided to divide the final chapter into two parts … but Part One is just a shorty … sorry!

Hugs to Maria for helping me out with a quick last-minute beta! Please be gentle in case there are some mistakes left … I was really in a hurry to get this up.

Have a great Christmas everyone!

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**10. Just A Beautiful Day, Part One**

_Seattle, 05:15 am, December 25 2019_

For once the whole city was quiet. Seattle seemed to hold its breath; the buzzing activity, the whirling rush and loud sounds of the big city had screeched to a halt. Streets echoed with silence. Normally busy places were quietened down and large high rise canyons looked empty and deserted.

Night had put its protecting blanket over the city, hiding all the dirt and garbage on the streets, and simultaneously it provided perfect cover for the dark figures of Seattle's underworld, for drug dealers and greasy, pony tailed pimps. But tonight even most of those ever present criminals had vanished off the streets. It was Christmas after all; the time of the year when everybody sought comfort and love, wanted to be with friends and family. It was the time of the year when the long lost son knocked on his parents' door, when ever lasting arguments got settled, when tears flowed and excited smiles got shared.

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_Seattle, 07:20 am_

A first streak of light on the horizon already announced the beginning of a new day; it stretched its long, gray fingers across the pitch black sky and left small fingerprints on the Pacific Ocean at Seattle's doorstep. But it didn't reach the two dark clad figures that circled one another, muscles tense, ready to leap forward at the opponent's first sign of weakness; soft footsteps and calm breathing the only sounds in the lingering darkness.

Both fighters were extremely careful. One step ahead was often followed by two steps back, their positions got frequently changed, like in a wild, graceful dance, their only audience the silvery shining moon and the bright stars.

When the taller of the two did two very fast steps forward and then dealt out a series of blurred hits, all blocked by just as fast movements of his opponent, the fight seemed to erupt in a fierce climax. For the normal eye it wasn't even possible any more to decide where one person ended and where the other began. The dark shadows of both figures just merged into one huge, whirling mass until the smaller fighter somersaulted over the other's head, landing softly on the concrete, knees slightly bent, feet exactly shoulder wide apart.

And again they circled one another tensely, faces blank, eyes narrowed in deep concentration, apparently untouched by the physical effort of the fight.

The left hand of one of the fighters shot suddenly at impossible speed into the opponents direction, it stopped midway and was quickly drawn back, while the right hand went up in a fast, powerful arc and connected with the chin, causing the man to close his eyes tightly.

But suddenly he smiled, relaxing his fighting stance, shaking his head. "Ah … Maxie, you still beat me … damn." He straightened his leather jacket and grinned, apparently not particularly angry about the fact that the girl had just kicked his ass. "10 to 8 … wasn't it?"

Max's lips twisted into a wolfish grin. "10 to 7 … _sweetheart_," she corrected, head tilted to one side, eyes dancing. "And yeah … I can still kick your sorry ass."

Ryan growled. "Don't show off, Max … it doesn't suit you." He rolled his eyes but a wide grin softened his words and when he put one arm affectionately around her, the beautiful, young woman just relaxed into his warm hug.

A flood of emotions swept through her. It felt incredibly good to be near her brother. Max felt safe and loved … and finally, after all those years, she knew exactly what she'd been so desperately searching for.

After meeting Zack a few months ago, she had been disappointed … even felt as if she'd lost something rather than found a brother, assuming that all her siblings were still living after Manticore's rules; rules that had been chiselled in stone so many years ago. And she'd been even lonelier than before. She was an outsider; neither really understanding the _normal_ people completely, nor ready to live under Zack's control any more, yet she wanted to belong so badly.

Max closed her eyes, just savoring the moment, stowing it away safely. There were going to be worse times. _No happy end for a science project on the run_, Max thought wryly with a mental shrug. But besides her friends and Logan, she now had her family to cling to if things should ever go down the drain again.

Tinga lived in Portland with an ordinary, Syl and Krit refused to split up and Ryan had vowed to keep in touch, was even going to help her find the others – that was all she needed for now. Max directed her glance at the sky, where the blue-gray morning light let the stars fade, a new day announcing its arrival … and a lazy smile crossed her features; it started on her lips, wandered over her face until it slowly reached her dark-brown eyes.

_It was going to be a beautiful day._

"I gotta go, Max." Ryan's whispered words sliced through the silence. Ryan took a small step back, his hands still touching her shoulders, reluctant to let go. "But I'll be back."

The warm smile never left Max face. "I know," she nodded, looking up to him and then said teasingly: "Your girl's waiting … she still has to get her Christmas present, huh?"

_And__I already got mine_, she added silently to herself.

"I'm not really into this whole Christmas stuff," Ryan admitted with a shrug, hands sinking, while a tiny trace of sadness crept secretly into his eyes.

"Me neither," Max tilted her head to one side. "But a good friend of mine told me, you gotta seize any opportunity you can to celebrate in this short, brutal life."

Ryan grinned, eyes shining in their intense, fake blue. "Your friend seems to be an interesting man, huh?" He winked suggestively. "And he's smart too."

"We are not like that." Max stated defensively, running on automatic. She hesitantly met Ryan's glance, half expecting him to change into OC, regarding her with that disbelieving 'yeah, what-ever-you-have-to-tell-yourself' look, but surprisingly he wasn't.

Ryan's face was serious, understanding glimmering in his eyes. "It ain't easy for us to let anyone else in," he admitted. He lifted both hands in a calming gesture when Max wanted to protest and added softly: "Sometimes, when I look at my girlfriend, I can still hear Lydecker's rough voice, telling us kids that emotions are dangerous … and sentimentality will get us killed. We are not allowed to let our defenses down. It's essential to be constantly on the move in enemy territory … and there's nobody to be trusted."

Once again that deep sadness was reflected in his eyes, but then he shook his head, refusing to let himself get pulled into that gloomy world of grayness.

"I don't wanna live that kinda life anymore," Max told him and averted her eyes.

"Me neither."

The expression on Ryan's face changed again. He grabbed Max's shoulders, willing her to look at him. And when he spoke again with passionate voice, urgency tinted his words. "Max, don't let that bastard keep you from being happy."

"No, I won't," she promised gravely.

A powerful breeze whirled through her hair. It carried the cold wetness and salty smell of the sea with it and sent a shiver through her body.

Max and Ryan stood silently in the semi-darkness for a moment. They defied the chilling wind, intent on dragging out the time for saying goodbye. Despite all given promises both of them knew that months, even years might go by until they met each other again.

When they finally let go of each other, after a last fierce hug, both of them vanished into different directions; soundless, with catlike grace, leaving the spot on the rooftop near Seattle's harbor empty and deserted.

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The sun fought against the last remnants of the night; it sliced weakly through thick layers of clouds, only some thin rays reaching the earth' surface. All the filth and garbage on the streets was still well hidden in the gray shadows, while the windows and rooftops reflected the daylight, giving the town an almost futuristic look.

A sea gull sailed elegantly in wide arcs over the harbor, its feathers snowy-white, announcing with hoarse cries that the night was over.

Everywhere in Seattle windows lit up. Children's laughter filled lovingly decorated rooms, eyes sparkled with joy, while gift boxes got ripped open excitedly.

Seattle was still a broke city in a broke county, where corruption reigned and people lived in fear of authorities. But it was Christmas after all. A clever man once said that you have got to seize any opportunity you can to celebrate in this short, brutal life and that's exactly what the people were doing.

_It was going to be a beautiful day._

TBC

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Hope you liked it (despite the lack of M/L) … sorry!

That's the second time I'm thinking: "_This could have been a nice ending_". But I promised some M/L, and I really want to write a nice, romantic or UST-ic chapter. I'm not sure it fits into this story, so please press the little button down there and let me know what you think, even if you think it's better to stop here! Thanks.


	11. Just A Beautiful Day, Part Two

A special "Merry Christmas" goes to **Griever11**. I wrote this chapter for her. Thanks honey, for sending the perfect wishes. :-) I'm happy I can finally complete this story.

**A/N:**This is a response to the "Christmas At Christmas Challenge".

It's not absolutely necessary that you've read the whole story to read this chapter, but I promised to write some ML goodness (as Griever so accurately put it in her wish list) and having a Christmas Challenge seemed to be perfect to complete a Christmas story.

Things Griever didn't want to see in her story:  
1) Crying (for either one of them)  
2) Asha

Griever's wish list:

1)**Sweet fluffy ML goodness duh ... :P** - (I did my best … duh. :-P)  
2) **Presents** - (Yes.)  
3) Logan's relatives... Margo would be cool (The Cales are only shortly mentioned.)  
4) **Santa**(Sorry, no Santa ;-))  
5) **FOOD!** (Definitely.)

I'd like to say thank you again to Maria656, who helped me to make this a better story. Thanks for all the time and effort she spent to beta "Christmas Party". xx HUGS xx

And a special thanks to Shywr1ter for jumping in at the very last minute to beta this chapter because Maria had some problems with her Internet connection and wasn't sure she'd be able to send CP back in time. As this chapter had two betas now, (Shy and Maria) I hope there are no mistakes left (I just hope I didn't miss something). ;) **You guys rock!**

Hope you enjoy!

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**11. Just A Beautiful Day, Part Two**

… Seattle was still a broke city in a broke county, where corruption reigned and people lived in fear of authorities. But it was Christmas after all. A clever man once said that you have to seize any opportunity you can to celebrate in this short, brutal life, and that's exactly what the people were doing.

_It was going to be a beautiful day. …_

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_December 25, rooftop of the building across __from Fogle Tower_

The town was dipped into darkness, and a chorus of bell ringing sounded from a church near the sector border at 7 p.m. sharp. The sound was deep and a bit nostalgic, spreading a festive atmosphere over this part of Seattle.

The lonely figure on the rooftop of one of Seattle's most attractive buildings stood motionless, her face set in a stony expression, arms folded protectively in front of her chest.

_You can do it_, she thought, not exactly convinced, right foot lifting from its soldier-like stand, trying to dig its tip into the solid concrete. Max's pupils widened as her glance was drawn to the windows of a certain penthouse apartment. The flickering candle-light seemed to lure her in, and oddly enough it created a lump in her throat at the same time.

_Coward,_she thought, sinking her front teeth deep into her bottom lip.

Seconds ticked by. And the mass of butterflies that seemed to fight inside of her stomach grew into an army. She knew she was already late. And somehow imagining Logan, his glance wandering with growing concern to his kitchen clock, did nothing to reduce her anxiety. _He's waiting_, she inwardly kicked herself but nevertheless remained rooted to the spot, unable to move.

_It's just dinner_, she rolled her eyes at herself. _We have dinner all the time, and he promised not to overdo this Christmas thing. _

Her fingers loosened their iron grip around her upper arms, and Max put her right hand into her pocket, where she found a small wrapped package that dug its edges into the soft material of her jacket.

_No presents_ had been one of her adamant conditions as Logan had invited her for Christmas dinner. Her demand had been followed by Logan's soft chuckle and an _okay_ that came out just a bit too fast … too eager.And somehow she suspected he hadn't taken her seriously.

_Men_, Max rolled her eyes again, glad that she'd taken her own precautions. She wasn't big in celebrating … she wasn't great in making presents, but hey, if Logan thought he could outmaneuver her, he had to think again. Definitely.

A small smile crossed her face.

_Did that mean she'd really go?_And how great where the chances that she' muster enough courage to give him the present?

A wry grin followed in the wake of her smile. _She couldn't let him down, right?_ Logan had canceled his participation in "the Cales'" traditional Christmas dinner after all, just for her. He had seemed determined not to let her wriggle out of his invitation, promising her a first class culinary miracle and some games of chess. _And who was she to turn down an offer of being fed? _

She had promised her brother on this very morning that she wouldn't let Lydecker keep her from being happy. So yeah, she'd probably break her "ignore-Christmas" rule a second time. Who cared, anyway?

And admittedly, as unpleasant and even dangerous as her meeting with Lydecker at the Christmas party had been, it had been worth it. She had found her brother Ryan … someone who understood her … someone she could relate to … and another source for the search of her siblings. Just thinking about their last meeting brought this warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach back. Oh, how long had she waited for something like this to happen?

So, maybe, just maybe, there really was something special about Christmas.

And the food had been (and would be) great as well, Max acknowledged to herself. Her eyes got a predatory glint.

_Come on_, Max finally urged herself, easing through the roof door into the building, her mouth getting watery just as she thought about food._Hurry up!_

And even though she told herself she'd much rather ignore Christmas … even though she stubbornly insisted she'd love to have the evening to herself … Max wasn't able to suppress the excitement that slowly bubbled up inside her.

_Maybe it really was a beautiful day._

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_Fogle Tower, 10 minutes later_

Somehow it didn't feel right to pick the lock today. It wasn't as if Max thought a higher power was watching or something. **NO!** But still, there was something special in the air, and not even Max was able to evade the spell. That's why she knocked on Logan's door rather than forcing her way in, feeling how her stupid little heart was suddenly beating out of her chest.

_Damn, I'm not gonna fall for this silly Christmas stuff._

The soft sound of rubber wheels on the hardwood floor was audible as Logan approached the door and Max shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other, forcing a smile on her face when the door opened widely.

"**Hey**," the boyish grin on Logan's lips let her head spin.

"Hey yourself," she managed weakly.

Max wrapped her fingers tightly around the package in her jacket pocket as if it was a life buoy. She noticed the blue flannel shirt that seemed to give his eyes a completely different color. _Or did that come from the sparkle in his eyes?_

The apartment seemed so warm and comfortable ... a safe haven … enticing her to step in. But all she could do was stand in the doorframe, paralyzed, unable to take that one step forward.

Logan just stared at her. And finally Max felt the hotness of a blush creep along her neck … and over her cheeks. _Damn_. She shifted her weight to the other foot again, and her eyes narrowed.

"Wanna-let-me-in?" / "**I-was-afraid-you-wouldn't-make-it.**" – Both of them forced the words out in a rush, speaking at the same time.

The silence that followed was quickly interrupted by Max's giggle as Logan moved the chair to the side to let her in, an embarrassed smile on his face, green eyes darkening.

Max slipped out of her shoes and jacket, still grinning, and then took a few more steps into the apartment, once again feeling the hammering of her heartbeat against her ribs, realizing that it was too late now to secretly abscond, her escape route being blocked by Logan who followed on her heels in his wheelchair.

_Not sure this whole thing was__ such a clever idea_, Max thought, noticing a soft pull in her chest as she let her eyes wander through his apartment …

The living area was lit by a dozen candles. Here and there some Christmas decorations were unobtrusively scattered about the room, spreading a festive atmosphere without yelling "it's Christmas". A dark red tablecloth and a few fir twigs decorated the table, and the huge bellied glasses were already filled with dark red wine, reminding Max of their first evening together, when Logan had announced that cats always seem to turn up around dinner time. Oh, he'd been so full of himself, and although this had happened only a few months ago – somehow it seemed like a lifetime away.

A soft smile lit Max's face as she noticed how much trouble Logan had gone to make her feel comfortable tonight.

_He's done this for me_, Max realized astonished, a lump forming in her throat.

She felt Logan's expectant glance, felt that he watched her warily and finally she turned around to look into eyes.

"Wow," Max's smile widened into a goofy grin, showing two rows of perfectly white teeth. "This looks beautiful." She nodded into the direction of the living area. She took in a deep breath through her nose, the predatory glint back in her eyes and added: "And it smells like heaven."

"I always keep my promises," Logan smiled, then scratched the back of his head, narrowing his eyes. The smile faded away, and he added with a sheepish shrug. "Okay, mostly."

"As if," Max scoffed, hip thrown out provocatively, one hand placed on her side. "Mr. Eyes Only."

Both shared a conspiratorial glance, knowing how many times Logan had stayed in front of his highly efficient computers late into the night. Max could almost see Bling's reproachful expression when the PT caught Logan, wrapped up in his most recent Eyes Only mission instead of getting out, doing his workout or even eating. Whenever Logan felt "duty call," all promises given went quickly out of the window.

At least Logan had the decency to look guilty. He scrambled for something plausible to say, wanted to defend himself, but fortunately the oven came to his rescue, demanding his attention with a piercing alarm.

"**Dinner**/ Dinner," both of them whispered simultaneously, sharing another smile.

Max's focus shifted in a split second. This time it was Max who followed on Logan's heel, curiosity evident on her face, a soft bounce in her steps. And when Logan opened the door of the oven, she leaned forward to get a better look at his most recent creation.

A look of awe crossed her face, and Max couldn't help the deep "hmmmm" that escaped her lips as the smell of the crisp, brown roast duck invaded her sensitive senses. The duck was bedded on slices of bacon and onions, and the sauce that was sizzling around it already had a rich brown color.

Max's eyes grew big like saucers and she unconsciously licked her lips.

"Logan, you're my hero," the dark haired girl announced enthusiastically with a grin, shocking both of them equally.

"**Am I?**"

Logan quickly turned his chair around, looking up at her, a dangerous glitter in his eyes, challenging her.

He was close … too close, Max realized, goose bumps forming on the back of her neck. She stared mesmerized into his eyes. Her X5-super-soldier-brain yelled at her to back-pedal, a flippant comment already waiting on her tongue, where it died a quick, harsh death. Her throat felt dry like sand paper, and all clear thoughts seemed to have tumbled out of her super-intelligent brain.

Maybe the magnificent smell had sent her senses into overdrive? Had she ever noticed how beautiful his lips were?

And suddenly all she really wanted was to kiss him. An overwhelming longing ached in her chest and every single fiber of her body seemed to push her forward … closer.

His eyes looked almost black now.

Max hadn't even noticed that she'd really bridged the gap between them, but suddenly her lips touched his, softly at first, like a feather stroke. Her hands gently held his face, and her heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears, skyrocketing as she realized that he kissed her back, his tongue carefully exploring her mouth, wandering over her lips and teeth.

_What am I doing?_ A desperate voice whispered inside her. But the voice was weak – too weak to have a chance against the kiss that was getting more passionate with every elapsing second.

Max felt off balance now, as dizzy as if everything was rotating around her (_she wasn't used to losing control_), but Logan's strong arms held her. One hand was securely placed on her back and the fingers of the other hand toyed with her hair. Max had to suppress the urge to purr like a kitten. She'd never before felt this safe … had never before really trusted … and she had never before let down her defenses like this.

She stroked the soft material of his shirt, feeling the hard muscles of his chest beneath.

The thing that astonished her the most was that everything felt so right – Logan's lips on hers, his fingers gently stroking her hair, the ringing in her ears. And when they finally let go of each other, minutes later, both of them looked a bit forlorn, as if they'd lost something.

Max reluctantly straightened and took a half step back. She never broke off the eye contact, but noticed with some satisfaction that the green in his eyes was almost gone.

"The roast," Logan said guiltily, his voice rough. He quickly turned his chair around to switch off the oven. A soft red tinted his cheeks as he turned back to her, raking one hand through his already disheveled hair.

"I'll be back in a second," Max whispered, not trusting her voice to speak aloud.

And before Logan was able to say anything, she stormed quickly out of the room and into the entry, retrieving the present from her jacket pocket.

On her way back into the kitchen she grabbed both wine glasses from the dinner table. She had to restrain herself not to blurr, already fearing that something had changed in the short time of her absence. But Logan still sat where she'd left him, rooted to the spot, watching her approach, a soft, amazed smile on his lips.

She would have expected to feel nervous; she would have thought she'd rather run than facing him. But instead incredible warmth spread out inside her. It filled her completely, crept through her body and into the deepest core of her soul. Okay, her knees felt a bit weak, her heartbeat was still too fast, but it felt good all the same. And somehow she felt the both of them deserved a bit of happiness.

"Logan …" she said, her voice clear, kneeling down in front of him. She gave Logan one of the wine glasses and lifted her own. Her dark eyes bore into his green ones, trying to tell him that everything was going to be okay. The look of pain in her eyes and the wariness that normally seemed to cling to her like a second skin were gone. She pressed a small package into Logan's right hand and added, as the silvery ring of their clinking glasses filled the room:

"Merry Christmas."

Xxx**The End**. XxX

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WOW, I started this story two years ago and now it's finally completed. Thanks to everybody who read, and a huge bear hug to everybody who left a review.

Like it? Too fluffy? Please drop me a note and let me know!

**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!**


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